


Lost Light

by vase



Category: The Owl House (Cartoon)
Genre: AU, Adventure, Gen, Luz is very bi, Reality Check Summer Camp sucked, Some angst, beta luz, what if
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-07
Updated: 2020-11-04
Packaged: 2021-03-07 20:00:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 25,365
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26873323
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vase/pseuds/vase
Summary: On her sixteenth Summer, Luz Noceda chases down a thieving owl to reclaim her sketchbook; only to find herself in a world of magic and witches, things she was meant to have outgrown at Reality Check Summer Camp. Now with Eda the Owl Lady and the King of Demons, she must face down Warden Wrath if she ever wants to go home. But… Does she want to?An AU where canon starts two years late and a very different Luz finds her way into the Boiling Isle.
Comments: 68
Kudos: 149





	1. Chapter 1

Luz was struggling to find inspiration.  
  
Maybe it was because she was just sitting on the porch of her house trying to draw from memory.  
  
Maybe it was anticipation for the art retreat she was set to attend?  
  
Or maybe she just really hated summer.  
  
Her pen scraped along the page ruining the skyline and with a grunt of vexation she just lobbed the entire book across the lawn, pencil and all before letting her head drop between her raised knees, hair nearly touching the ground.  
  
‘I’m not feeling sick. I’m fine. This is just nerves,’ she told herself without really believing it as she roughly pawed at the few droplets of sweat fermenting on her brow like they were boiling water on her skin. With a groan she flung herself back onto the deck, arms spread wide as she crossed her arms over her face to block out the sun, hoping the damn bus had air-conditioning!  
  
As her heart rate slowed, Luz stared up dully at her flack jacket covered arms and just… Sighed.  
  
She hadn’t always been this way.  
  
She hadn’t always been so tired.  
  
She hadn’t always hated summer.  
  
But then Reality Check Summer Camp appeared in her life and everything had changed.  
  
'I want it on the non existent record that I tried, that I really freaking tried,’ she told herself. Remembering clearly the first month and how she’d worked hard to make friends with her fellow weirdoes, listened to the instructors even when what they said stung, her muscles began to strain from all the tasks and her head ached. She had tried damn hard to keep up a brave face for her mother, texting her every night with false enthusiasm, hoping if she pretended to be happy long enough it might take and she’d see what all the adults found in this stuff.  
  
It hadn’t worked and by the second month she’d been run ragged enough that just sending emoji’s proved taxing. She’d made no friendships that lasted, but nor had anyone else. Reality Check Summer Camp was for jostling people out of silly ideas like friendship and camaraderie in favor of blind obedience and nine to five work with no breaks, students that ratted on others got rewards and no one had much time or energy to talk and when they did it always risked becoming 'abnormal’ and therefore punishable.  
  
By the third and final month she just stopped responding to her mothers texts all together, turning off her phone and and just… Not thinking. That was better than being sad or angry she’d found, no one got mad at her if she was just checked out and running on auto pilot until she finally went home. The last month and her first few weeks back passed in a blur. She vaguely recalled her mother kissing and hugging her, excitedly asking her about her time and if she’d broken her phone. Luz could recall vividly leaning into the older woman’s shoulder, just whispering, “I’m tired,” and then slinking her way up to her bedroom.  
  
Luz’s face morphed into a scowl as her gut churned remembering how sick looking at her own things had made her, the camp had been very good at associative misery to “ween you off your unhealthy fixations” and just seeing her Azura stuff, her toys, her everything had nearly given an anxiety attack. Crawling into her bed she’d passed out with her face in the pillow and before the week was done shoved most everything in a closet.  
  
Besides that, she couldn’t recall much.  
  
Luz knew her mother had tried to spend more time with her before she was sent back to school. Eating real food again had been a trip. At the camp those deemed girls no matter how they identifies were always made to do the cooking, while those deemed boys went to chop wood, but there’d been no real spices or flavor to anything, so unfamiliar was her own food she’d almost gotten sick from how unfamiliar it had become to her own body.  
  
She remembered her mother speaking Spanish to her more and more for a time, which had been one of the few welcome bits of enthusiasm Luz tried to match. The camp councilors had done a painfully poor job cloaking their disdain for any language other than English, it wasn’t “normal” after all and needed to be 'corrected’.  
  
There’d been some drama about the uniform she thought too, her mother wondering if she wanted to keep it and Luz not having the energy to express that if she ever had to see another three quarter skirt again, let alone be force into one, she’d throw up on it then burn it. So she’d just stayed silent and thrown it away when her mother wasn’t looking.  
  
Then she’d gone back to school, quieter and therefore deemed acceptable by the teachers. She didn’t try to join any clubs, or make a real effort to speak with anyone, and nor did they with her.  
  
The clear cutting exception of course being, art.  
  
It had been an escape, somewhat.  
  
At camp they had been expected to focus on 'realism’ which Luz later found out the camp counselors didn’t even understand as an artistic term; but it had been deemed the only “proper” way for a creative to express themselves and Luz was a bit ahead of the other kids for once thanks to spending years doodling fanart. It hadn’t made the teachers favor her like they did some of their favorites, but it meant she was deemed 'in the pack’ and for once wasn’t singled out. Art class had always been a relief at the camp.  
  
When she got home and found herself bored or anxious she’d started doodling, then sketching and it wasn’t long before she’d locked into this little avenue of free expression that no one judged her for or shouted at her about that it began to devour her time and energy like all of her old… Everything had once done. She’d experimented with styles, with paint, digital and physical alike and while she’d only entered her first contest because her mother was starting to give her those worried “Maybe I should send her to a camp to fix her looks”, or so Luz felt, she had ultimately won and been… Happy?  
  
Not jubilant or excited like she might have once been, but she’d been pleased and even a little proud; the tablet it had won her had been a loyal companion ever since. From there Luz had entered contests left and right, it had been an easy enough way to make her mother stop fretting and it let her tune out the world and dabble in the fantastical again, if only a little, even winning a finals spot in the Azura fanart compendium, a copy of the draft still in her sketchbook.  
  
Luz’s eyes flew open and snagging her art kit and flinging it over her shoulder she threw herself to her feet.  
  
'What was I thinking, the book will get stains if I leave it in the grass!’  
  
Her shows squeaked as she sped off the porch and the sight before her froze Luz solid.  
  
It was an owl, far too small and far too smooth, with big shining eyes and a monstrously oversized sack grasped in its little claws, and poking out the top was her art book.  
  
With a hoot, the little creature yanked the bag impossibly high and took off and instinct took over, Luz flinging herself after it, “Get back here you tiny trash thief!”  
  
They raced into the woods but Luz’s long legs let her round on the bird quickly, grasping the tip of the sack in her fingers before the owl tugged it from her grasp by shooting high into he branches.  
  
“Don’t think you can get away, I do leg day!” She snapped, vaulting upwards and grasping the largest branch and heaving herself up with a grunt. She hadn’t climbed trees since she was a kid, but the skill hadn’t quite left her yet as she leapt and clambered her way after the owls swirling path.  
  
Only for it to suddenly break off, shooting low for some tiny cabin below.  
  
“Tricky shit!” She shouted and leapt after it.  
  
She leapt after it after having climbed half way up a three story tall tree and with no safe landing in sight.  
  
A numb, dumb sort of look flashed across her features, the world growing quiet, as her mind quietly whispered, 'Oh I am all the way dead’.  
  
But the owl was in sight and so was the sack, just barely, instinct took over and her hand lashed out snagging the thick burlap and digging her nails into it. The owl let out a startled hoot, its flight sagging as its descent sped up, almost gliding straight down rather than in a gentle arch and Luz’s shoes skidded on the dirt and grass. Loosing her grip she hit the ground rolling but didn’t stop, anger flashing in her eyes as the owl spun in the air shooting into the shadowy house, its eyes nearly glowing.  
  
Snarling she slammed her palms into the dirt and tore off from the ground, kicking up dirt and grass she leapt over the threshold, “I’ve got you now!” Her voice was swallowed up by the cabin, a burst of light folding in on itself at her back, as Luz Noceda vanished from the human realm without even realizing it.

* * *

Luz’s feet slammed against the floor, she barely registered the flash behind her or the hanging oddities around her, battering anything and everything in her path aside to burst through a set of tent flaps she’d just seen the owl duck through.  
  
Tearing through the thick red fabric she shot passed a silver fox of a woman who had the owl perched on her finger, and slammed into a table she hadn’t quite seen; only luck and a little practice let Luz slam her hand on the rocking table to send herself vaulting, or more like crashing across it to the shouts of the woman and hoots of the owl.  
  
Knocking items aside and skidding onto the dirt, Luz snatched up her sketch book from atop the slack sack, tongue sticking out as she raced backwards, shouting, “Mío otra vez idiota!” and taking off in the opposite direction, confident she could circle back around and make it home in short ord-  
  
“URK!”  
  
Luz choked as her shirt was yanked back, kicking wildly as she was hoisted into the air but no matter how she thrashed or struck she found nothing. Looking up all she could see was a golden glow emanating from her collar, stilling her heart.  
  
Luz’s yes widened as she was levitated.  
  
Levitated!?!?  
  
Back across the street, eyes growing wide and her jaw practically unhinging at the menagerie of strange and vaguely horrifying creatures scattered around, Multi-faced pigs, and many eyes minotaur’s rubbed shoulders with lizards folks and what looked like goblins!?  
  
With an unceremonious grunt she hit the ground, now facing the messed up stall and the scowling face of the lady and an all too smug looking owl on her shoulder.  
  
The woman’s arms were folded and she held a long stick in her grasp, golden fang flashing she said, “Its not often there’s someone bold or stupid enough to try and rob Eda the Owl Lady, you got moxxie kid, but that won’t save you,” she growled.  
  
“Que esta pasando!?” The lady arched a brow at her as Luz scrambled to her feet, “What the hells going on!?”  
  
The woman’s brow arched harder somehow, showing off her sharp features, even as she began to snort and chuckle, “Really, trying the amnesia trick on me kid? Wasn’t aware I had a fan club.”  
  
Luz took a step back only for the woman’s humor to fade as she firmly placed her staff tip on Luz’s shoulder, “But that doesn’t meant I’ll let you off for trashing my stall and stealing my nice things.”  
  
“Steal!? Your stupid owl robbed me!” She snapped, slapping the cover of her sketch book.  
  
The woman, Eda Luz remembered, slid her staff up from her shoulder and tapped her ear, eyes slowly shifting to the tiny owl on her shoulders that refused to meet her gaze, hooting gently, as she began to hum and nod in time with the creature.  
  
“I see what happened here,” she hummed.  
  
“So can I go, ah!” With a tug of her staff she pulled Luz closer.  
  
Hands slapping onto the table to keep steady, Luz had a brief moment to take in the stall, it looked like a heap of trash, mismatched shoes, batteries and pins, tennis rackets hanging with toy swords. It was a mess, like a hoarders wet dream.  
  
“Hey I thought we established this was your owls fault,” she said.  
  
“Be that as it may kid, you did still wreck my stall and if you don’t want things claimed by the inter-universal right of grabbing it, you shouldn’t throw it on the ground,” the woman said.  
  
Offence pushed the looming existential crisis out of Luz’s head as she slammed her hand on the table, “I should be able to put my things wherever I want!”  
  
Eda smirked, leaning forward - _making Luz realize this woman was easily seven feet tal_ l- and said, “And did it occur to you to ask for it back? No? Then I still have the moral high ground, which is weird for me lemme tell ya”  
  
“You have no such thing!” Luz argued, slapping the table and making its contents shake.  
  
“All right, all right, stop damaging the goods, I don’t even want the stupid book,” Luz’s offended hiss fell on deaf ears as the woman continued. “Look you got your little book back but you still cost me, fortunately I have a task that a human like you would be perfect for.”  
  
“A human…” luz’s gaze flickered around to the other alien residents half watching the exchange, and her voice fell to a whisper, “You’re not human?”  
  
Eda cackled, practically wiping a tear from her eyes, “Oh no, I’m not human,” she said, the owl turning to wood on the tip of her staff as she screw it on and then leapt upon the table, fire works flashing to life at her back as she ripped off her bandanna to reveal pointed hears. “I am Eda the Owl Lady, the mightiest, fiercest and most wanted Witch on the Boiling Isle!”  
  
“You’re busted is what you are!” A gruff voice cut in, making both snap their gazes to a stout figure, wearing a thick, dull grey uniform that looked slightly armored and a plague doctor mask.  
  
Luz’s instincts instantly screamed 'cop’ and she went for her phone only to yelp when the thugs massive gloved hand encircled her arm, “None of that, you’re coming in too, for public disturbances!”  
  
“Qué carajo!” She snapped, kicking him in the jaw.  
  
He drew back his free hand, “You little worm!”  
  
Before his strike could a bolt of golden energy zapped him and the cop’s grip slackened as he flipped backwards and slammed into the ground, stubby legs kicking wildly as the rest of him was stuck in the dirt.  
  
“Hahaha!” Luz cackled, rubbing her arm as she looked to Eda, “That was you?”  
  
She snorted, “Naturally, these goons can’t touch me, now come on, before his friends get here and I have to make a mess.”  
  
Luz’s “Wait what?” was ignored as the woman pressed down on a key and twirled her staff, a golden circle flashing the stall, the tend, the everything was wrapped up in a neat little sack and she dragged Luz onto her staff.  
  
“Afraid of heights?” She asked.  
  
“Noooooooooo!” Her answer turning into a shriek as they blurred into the skies.  
  
Luz’s tongue was somewhere in her stomach, her stomach felt squish against her rib cage and she had no idea where her lungs or heart were save maybe 'everywhere’ all at once with everything meeting in the middle.  
  
That is what flying felt like, and as the shock wore off, her terrified nails digging into her palms grasp on the staff loosened and her view of the world expanded to reveal a vast island of giant bones, wild forests and buildings practically born of chaos she couldn’t keep a grin from her face.  
  
“haa, haha! WOOOH!” She howled, wobbling and swaying on the staff and being snagged by the witch. before she fell.  
  
“First time I take it?” She asked with a smirk.  
  
“On a staff, in the air, with a witch? Yes, first time ever, you always travel like this?”  
  
“More or less, any witch worth their salt knows how to handled a staff and the skies,” Eda said, leaving some part of Luz wondering why no one else seemed to be flying, but far more enraptured by the fact she was.  
  
A distorted, shrieking roar bellowed at their side and Luz’s eyes widened, mind flashing back to years ago as the pigeon headed griffon barfed out a stream of spiders at something below before shooting off into the skies.  
  
“A griffon… They really do breath spiders?” She asked, a stilted blend of wonder and needing anger in her gut, because she’d been right dammit!  
  
“Yup all of your worlds myths come from a little of our world leaking into yours,” Eda said lazily.  
  
“So there’s more way’s here than just that door… Thingy I came through?” She asked.  
  
“Well there used to be, but now though?” Eda shrugged, “Not many save maybe through a garbage slugs belly and that’d be pretty hit or miss. Wanting to run home already?”  
  
“The opposite,” Luz murmured, shrieking in excited shock as Eda performed a loop before bringing them in for a gentle landing and sliding them both off the staff.  
  
“Welcome to my home, the Owl House,” Eda said grandly, motioning to a quaint cottage like house with a side shed and a guard tower latched onto the back.  
  
“Its not very… Owly?” Luz said, tilting her head and frowning.  
  
“Just watch, hey Hooty come say hello!”  
  
Luz didn’t even have time to blink before a too wide, too flat owl face with far too large and human like eyes was pressing its forehead to hers, feathers fluffing along a tube like body, cheerily hooting, “Hello friend!”  
  
“AAH!” Luz flung herself back, pushing and half crawling her way around the chattering creature. “You’re like a furby made it with a tape worm in hell, what are you?”  
  
“Hooty silly!” The… thing answered guilessly.  
  
“Hooty here is my state of the art security system and part of what makes the Owl House what it is,” Eda said, arms folded and an amused grin on her face, which turned to an indignant squawk as Hooty nuzzled her cheek, cheering, “Awe I love you too Eda!”  
  
“Aah, none of that!” She snapped, shoving the giggling creature off her as it began cheerfully singing and weaving around them.  
  
“Ugh, he’ll be like this for awhile, come on kid,” Eda waved her towards the house and Luz scarped after her, mildly horrified and utterly fascinated at the same time.  
  
Once inside, Luz found herself biting back some blend of awe and ingrained rejection of the messy, sprawling and chaotic mess of a house. Flashes of Reality Check’s counselors chanting 'Neat & Tidy is the way’ over and over again unless it was embedded into her skull struck as she looked at the discordant decorations of treasure chests, potion bottles, toys and a massive wanted poster framed and depicting Eda with a skull dog.  
  
With a click of her fingers Eda made the entire room light up, as cleaning items came to life and began to sweep, runs flared on the ceiling as candles blazed to life and a fire began to roar. “This is where I hide away from the pressures of modern life, and also the cops,” she snorted, “also my exes, hah!”  
  
Luz nodded numbly, her tight chest and coiled gut relaxing for but a moment until a shrill, rough voice boomed, “Who dares disturb I. The King of demons!”  
  
“The king of what?”  
  
“Oh yeah, my room mate.”  
  
Luz’s gaze snapped to a shrinking shadow on the wall that gave way to reveal the little critter from the wanted poster, tawny dark fur, with a skull affixed to the top of the head like a helmet and shiny golden eyes… It was also the size of a puppy or a kitty, carrying a rubber duck and was wearing a towel.  
  
“Pequeño demonio,” Luz choked back a scream of delight and amusement at the sight as the creature continued.  
  
“Haha, yes this one knows to fear me, as it should!… What is it Eda?”  
  
Clapping her on the shoulder and giving her a measuring look, Luz found herself briefly lost staring into Eda’s face before bristling and shaking it off and saying, “I’m Luz, a human. Your friend robbed me.”  
  
“Allegedly~” Eda sang.  
  
“And now she wants me for something I guess… Am I being kidnapped? Is this a sacrificial thing?” She asked.  
  
“Pfft,” Eda blew a raspberry, “Only chumps need to make sacrifices and sap things for anything. No,” she continued, striding to stand before her, “This is because I need you to reclaim something stolen from us.”  
  
The critter gasped, hoping up and down excitedly, “My crown! My crown!!”  
  
“Wait why would you need me, you’re like a major badass right?”  
  
Eda glanced over her shoulder at her own rear and Luz slapped her face, “Not what that means.”  
  
The flicker of a chuckle in her words told Luz Eda knew damn well what she’d meant, before the which began to wave her arms, conjuring a circle of gold that morphed into look of a story book.  
  
'I must have this magic!’ A part of her screamed.  
  
“Normally I wouldn’t need the help,” She began, “But you see Kings Crown of Power was recently stolen by the Evil Warden Wrath and stored at the Conformatoriam, headquarters of the evil Warden Wrath. Without its power King is just… This.”  
  
The tiny demon stamped his little paws and squealed, “one day I shall drink the fear of those who mocked my stature!”  
  
Eda snickered, but didn’t press him, continuing, “The crown is being held behind a magical barrier, one that rejects all magic, meaning King and I can’t get through but you, a boring magic-less human could!”  
  
“Gee, thanks, I feel so compelled to help, when can we start?” Luz intoned sarcastically.  
  
“That’s the spirit!” Eda laughed.  
  
“I wasn’t being serious, why should I help you!? Hell isn’t restoring some demon king usually a bad idea?”  
  
Eda waved the bronze key with a golden eye around lazily, “Cos I’m your only way home, and besides,” She scooped King up, “Can you really say no to this adorable face?”  
  
“Don’t use my adorableness as a prop!” King howled, thrashing wildly until Eda half dropped, half tossed him and Luz caught him on instinct, the little critter crawling up her jacket and coiling around her neck like a cat to whisper, “I’ll make you my chief champion if you help, no one would dare defy you!”  
  
Luz’s gaze flicked back to Eda who was rolling her eyes with an indulgent sort of fondness that left Luz frowning warily. Folding her arms she said, “Kinda presuming a lot aren’t you? I mean maybe I like it here? Or could sell you out? Consider that?”  
  
“Heh, you have some guts kids, and fair enough I don’t know your life, so how about this for a deal?” she leaned forward, a singly, almost claw like digit raised, “One, count it one favor, any favor - _Of comparable worth to this task_ \- from Me!”  
  
“Just one?” She scoffed.  
  
“From Eda the Owl Lady,” she proclaimed dramatically, “That is all you need and I have the wanted poster to prove it!”  
  
“That is a lot of numbers,” Luz sighed, head lolling back she groaned, “Fine, let’s get this over with.”  
  
“Hooray!” King cheered into her ear as Eda strode by her and tugged on her jacket, “Let’s get going then~” She sang

* * *

The Conformatoriam was a miserable place, a looing tower of lifeless grey stone and shadowed walls, the kind of place Luz might draw if asked to create paint her visions of something as loathsome as medieval Europe.  
  
'Which begs the question why I’m breaking in!?’ She wanted to snap, King’s tail brushing against her ear as the demon rode on her shoulder. The magical circle beneath her feet beginning to fade, Luz leapt forward, snagging the window and clumsily tugging herself inside. 'Well too late now I guess.’  
  
“OK my crown should be this way,” Kind said, leaping from her shoulder and racing into the dimly lit hall.  
  
“Hey wait up, there could be guards,” She hissed, ducking low and pursuing the demon.  
  
“Hey,” a smoky voice intoned, causing Luz to shoot up, braced for a punch, as the lovely voice continued, “People don’t usually check themselves into the Conformatoriam.”  
  
Following the sultry voice, Luz’s cheeks warmed at the sight of the purple dressed, near vampire like maiden with blue hair, “Well,” she started, trying to think of a line, “I guess most people don’t know you’re here,” she said with a wink.  
  
The Witches eyebrows shot up as she said, “So you break me out and I go out with you or something?”  
  
Luz waved her off, “Nah I’m not gross like that, I was just flirting.”  
  
“Luz, come on, my crown,” King whined, tugging on her pants.  
  
“Just a sec,” she snapped, leaning forward, “So how’d you end up in here anyway? One too many bodies drained of blood in an alleyway?”  
  
“Nah no one cares about that,” the girl answered, “I write fanfiction about food falling in love, see,” she held up a book of a carrot and onion bathing together, “I like food I like love, just let me write about it!”  
  
… Luz’s brow knitted together, “You got arrested for… Writing stories about vegetables?”  
  
“Yeah,,” she scoffed, “The guards throw anyone in who 'disturbs the peace’ or whatever, like that guy,” she said, pointing to a many eyes ogre looking creature.  
  
He plucked an eye from his head and ate it, making Luz’s stomach shudder as a new one popped into place, “I like to eat my own eyes.”  
  
“He got reported by his co-workers for it,” the vampire said.  
  
Someone rattled on the bars, “We live in a triangular illusion! We are playthings for a higher being!!” It was a tine, round red headed… Thing…  
  
“That one’s a conspiracy nut.”  
  
King tugged again, “Come ooon.”  
  
“Mierda,"she muttered, "And I thought Realty Check sucked, this is a whole new level of garbage.” A loud, thudding set of foot falls struck her ears, and King hissed, “This is why we needed to move!”  
  
“Hide or the Warden will get you,” The girl hissed, and Luz flung herself into the nearest cell and made herself as small as possible against the wall, King curling up in a corner.  
  
The door slammed open and a deep, smooth timber echoed, “What are you all prattling about?”  
  
Luz’s heart chilled, she couldn’t breath as her mind whirled.  
  
That was when the girl spoke, “Just saying how much you suck, Warden.”  
  
A low rumbling growl echoed and grey tendrils shot out, lifting up the lever controlling the cell and wrapping the vampire up, dragging her away in a blur.  
  
Luz instinctively lurched after her but King’s claws in her heels stilled her movement as the Warden muttered, “It seems you need to be reminded of how to respect authority figures.,” Followed by the sound of a door slamming.  
  
Luz slid down the wall, hands over her mouth as she tried not to start howling curses or throw up.  
  
“Come on, we gotta move,” King insisted.  
  
Shaking off the terror, Luz peeked her head out of the cell in time to see Eda drift in the window muttering, “Well the Wardens found a way to distract himself, come on.”  
  
“No we can’t leave her, she covered for me,” Luz said, grabbing at Eda’s shoulders.  
  
“Relax kid, she’ll just be on the rack for awhile or something-”  
  
“You promised me a favor right? Well I know what I want.” She tugged Eda close so they could be eye to eye, “I want you to turn this entire place into rubble.”  
  
Eda’s eyes widened and she pushed Luz away, “That’s a big ask.”  
  
“Are you or are you not the most powerful witch on the Isle?” Luz snapped.  
  
“I am,” she growled, “But that isn’t the problem here.”  
  
“What is then?” She hissed.  
  
“Look, its… Urg, fine, I’ll see what I can do, not like I care about this place anyway,” She muttered, twirling a circle in the air with a finger and making the levers rise silently freeing the prisoners.  
  
Luz looked to the prisoners who remained still and stiff, “Why aren’t you guys running?”  
  
The multi-eyed ogre sighed, “The Warden will just punish us if we try to escape.”  
  
That despairing lack of hope was familiar and it pissed Luz off.  
  
“Well you heard-em kid, now let’s get kings crown and I’ll see about the rest of your request.”  
  
Luz let Eda pull her away, scowling, “If you just give up nothing will change. Don’t be cowards!” She snarled as the door slammed shut on them and she was alit with a strange green slow.  
  
“Here we are kid, hope you’re grabbing hands are ready,” Eda said.  
  
Luz turned and looked to the massive pillars of light and shadowed mass of treasures contained within, barely aware of King shocking himself on the barrier as she marched towards it and then ran, closing her eyes she leapt at the barrier and-  
  
'I’m through?’ She realized as a subtle tingle washed over her and faded just as quickly, leaving her to collapse into a pile of half ruined objects stacked in a mangled mass. Shaking her head, Luz looked for a crown and finally caught sight of it at the top of the heap, her frown turning toxic as she muttered, “Me estas jodiendo.”

* * *

“My crown! My crown!” Kind jumped and hopping eagerly as Luz tossed him the burger queen crown and marched up to Eda.  
  
“We risked our lives for a frigging toy?” She groused, barely registering King adding a stuffed rabbit to his army.  
  
Eda started to smirk, but it faded fast as she sighed, “Look at us Luz… King and I don’t have much in this world, we only have each other. So if that crown is important to him, it is to me too.”  
  
Luz’s heart clenched at the strangely gentle tones and soft expression, a faint sense of longing quickly cast aside, “Look… That’s… Look we had a deal, this place pisses me off so burn it down already and let’s go.”  
  
Eda’s head lolled to the side, “You really feel for these weirdoes don’t you?”  
  
Luz bristled, “Don’t look at me like that!”  
  
Eda snorted, “Relax kid, King and I aren’t exactly winning any conformity contests either, as to your favor though-”  
  
Luz’s shriek of terror was choked as a glinting blade made of flesh ripped through Eda’s neck and the woman’s head flew into her arms. Luz raced back as Eda’s body fell to the floor, clutching her head in her hands, eyes wide as the gargantuan figure of what could only be Warden Wrath loomed over her.  
  
“Eda! Estas viva!?”  
  
Eda’s dulled facial expression morphed into pain as she grunted, “OW! I hate when that happens!”  
  
“The fuck!?”  
  
Eda looked at her and sighed, “Relax this just happens when you get older?”  
  
“This is normal here?”  
  
“I guess,” Eda somehow shrugged with only her tone and facial expression.  
  
A low cough hit their ears and Luz turned Eda around so she could see Warden Wrath marching towards them, crushing King’s crown in his hands.  
  
“ Cabron”  
  
“Eda the Owl Lady, I knew if we stole your pets toy you’d have no choice but to wander into my lair, and now,” he intoned granted. “I have you exactly where I want you.”  
  
“What do you jerks even want with me, I never broke any of your stupid laws… In front of you.”  
  
The gargantuan man knelt before them, “I want you,” he fell on one knee, “To go out with me!” Flowers materializing in his hands and guards shouting their support.  
  
“You wha?” Eda said.  
  
The wardens voice grew oddly frantic, “You always manage to elude my traps, you were always the one who got away, I found that alluring,” he purred.  
  
“Gross,” she spat.  
  
“Shut your mouth!” His hand ripped to shreds, splitting into dozens of tentacles that coiled around her arms and chest, crushing down on her ribs as she was slammed into a wall with a shriek.  
  
Gagging and wiggling she spat, “It feels like children’s spaghetti, its every bit as awful as I could have imagined.”  
  
Warden Wrath snatched up Eda’s head and he’d her aloft, “How about it, Eda? The feared Warden Wrath and the most powerful Witch on the Boiling Isle? We could be the ultimate power couple. No one could stand against us!”  
  
Eda gave him a look hat somehow conveyed total contempt with barely even a motioned of her lips before she began to smirk.  
  
“Pucker up sweetheart,” Eda said, opening her mouth and swiftly tracing a circular in the air with her tongue alone that let loose a bolt of golden electricity into the Wardens face.  
  
Luz hit the floor, gasping for breath and on insistent she snatched up King and Eda, shoving the witches head into her fumbling bodies hands as Warden Wrath snarled, “IF you won’t be mine then you will die!”  
  
“I got this kid, run along,” Eda said, as her head snapped back into place.  
  
“Qué?”  
  
Before she could say more, Eda slapped her staff into her hands and said, “Fly brat!” Luz screamed as she was violently yanked out the window and into the air, as the sounds of fire and roaring filled the chamber behind her.  
  
“Hey, hey Owlbert right? Take me back!”  
  
The staffs eyes flashed gold as if questioning as she gave it a tug, “I’m not a coward, I’m not running away! I am not giving up again!” She dragged herself up onto the staff and stared into the owls eyes, “I am not leaving them.”  
  
The Owl’s eyes flashed and with a violent rush of air they were surging back down and into the prison cells. Even spiraling in the air, Luz could still see the guard working the cranks on the vampires stretching machine and with a shout slammed her boot right into his face and sending him crashing to the floor.  
  
Then she slammed into the wall, Owlbert’s frame shielded by her own, “That was for chasing you wasn’t it?” She grumbled, forcing herself up as the vampire asked, “You came back?”  
  
“yeah I’m back, and amazing, and also freeing you so, uh, hmm,” Luz tugged at the bindings but they didn’t budge and up above she heard the sounds of battle rumbling as guards raced to reinforce the Warden.  
  
Owlbert’s eyes flashed and Luz gasped, “Right you can do magic!” She copied Eda’s earlier motioned and within seconds Owlbert was flesh and feathers again, eyes flashing it landed on the torture rack and the locks unlatched.  
  
“Thank you!” The vampire cheered, dragging them both into a hug. “You’re both gonna star in my next fic!”  
  
“Um, thank you?” She said, idly recalling making similar offers once upon a time, before blinking. “Wait we need to free the others and help Eda, and take down the Warden!”  
  
“Don’t do things by half measures do you?”  
  
“No I do not.”  
  
“Let’s go!”  
  
Their path to the other prisoners was clear, but the rumbling of the Conformatoriam’s walls was worrying. Bursting into the open cells, they found the other prisoners huddling together, new bruises on their frames, likely from the Warden or some guards.  
  
“Guys come on we’re getting out of here!” The vampire said, though her fraying, nervous tone did not convey confidence.  
  
“The multi eyed ogre sighed, "You know he’ll just catch and hurt us again though…”  
  
“I do not like the torment sessions,” The little one mumbled.  
  
Luz looked to where the battle was taking place, guards were flying out the doorframe, and magic was flashing wildly. 'Can she hold out? Did I ask too much? Fuck it!’  
  
“Do you guys really wanna spend the rest of your lives like this? Locked in a cell, not even trying to get out? Or forced to live the way these monsters want you too?”  
  
“but-”  
  
“No! None of that! You give them even a little and they’ll just take and take until your a bitter, empty husk. If you don’t fight now, then you’ll never be free!”  
  
The walls above exploded and Warden Wrath slammed into the floor, his eye-less mouth head on full display as he brushed ash from his singed clothes and chuckled, “The perfect shot.”  
  
Luz’s eyes widened as she saw fire blooming in his mouth as Eda was distracted by a horde of guards on her right.  
  
Snarling she charged, the world blurring as she closed the distance in a second and with a yowl leapt on the Warden’s back, driving the pointed tip of Owlbert’s staff into his shoulder and snaked an arm around his neck, dragging his head back.  
  
The Warden’s back arched and he let loose a roar, fire bursting from his mouth and ripping through the ceiling, ripping through stone and turning what didn’t shattered into molten slag.  
  
“you brat!” He roared, meaty hand snagging her arm, Luz’s scream was silent as she was hurled into the floor and a violent crack filled her ears and pain her senses.  
  
Stamping down on her arm, the Warden heaved, “You’ve caused enough trouble, time for permanent disciplinary action.”  
  
Rasping she spat at his feet, “Vete a la verga.”  
  
“Kid!” Eda called.  
  
Then three voices boomed from behind the Warden, “Get him!” The prisoners slammed into his back, knocking him off balance . The little one practically bounced off the wall and cheered, “The world is a triangle!” and bounced off the Warden’s side that final nudge sending him over the ledge and screaming to the bottom level.  
  
“We did it!” The ogre cheered.  
  
The vampire raced to her side and whispered, “Hey you OK? I can turn you if you’re gonna die.”  
  
If Luz weren’t currently in blinding pain she might have found that prospect appealing, but Eda answered for her, “That won’t be necessary, I’ll fix her right up at my place.”  
  
“You’re OK?” Luz groaned.  
  
“I’m fine, one big flash and I took-em out, but the Warden will be a bit tougher”  
  
“EDA!” He howled from below.  
  
“Speak of the ex boyfriend and he will appear right?” King chuckled.  
  
“Not my boyfriend aaaand, still struggling to climb back up, hehe,” Eda drew a circle in the air and blew the Warden a kiss through it, “Have fun with the parting gift Wrath!”  
  
With that she snatched up Owlbert and Luz found her world flashing gold as she, Eda, King and the prisoners were levitated out of the prison as a blast of blinding light filled the tower.  
  
Eda dropped the escapees off in an alleyway that was apparently her favorite and Luz got a gentle hug from each, which was weird but she was to sore and tired to say much, and a little too bi to properly respond when the vampire gave her a peck on the cheek before disappearing.  
  
After that, Eda bundled her up on Owlbert again, Luz leaning against her and propped up by King all the way back to the Owl House, where she was laid out on the lounge and once Eda has skulled some orange elixir, the witch got to work healing her. Soft, soothing lights filled the room as Luz’s bruised back and broken hip were steadily healed making her sigh with relief.  
  
“You’re good at this…” She said dreamily.  
  
Eda was quiet for a moment before chuckling, “Well live a life like mine and you pick things up.”  
  
Some number of hours passed, and Luz soon found herself pulling her jacket back into place and patting herself over.  
  
“Everything look to be in the right place?” Eda asked casually, King hanging from her shoulder.  
  
“Si,” she answered, lazily swinging her arms and flexing her fingers with a sigh, “Feels to be in the right place too.”  
  
“Glad to hear it,” Eda said, cracking her back “Well this was a day and a half, time to hit the hay, but not before this.” She pulled the key from her hair and said, “Time for you to go home I guess.”  
  
Didn’t I use up my favor already?“ Luz asked.  
  
Eda shrugged, "Well I didn’t strictly destroy the place, and besides,” She winked, “weirdoes and freaks gotta stick together I say.”  
  
She made to press the button when Luz said, “wait!”  
  
Eda blinked in obvious confusion.  
  
Luz's hand strayed t her art book which has miraculously survived the entire adventure with nary a bit of scuffing. She pulled it open to a familiar page, her Azura competition sketch and sucked in a breath.  
  
“You said us weirdoes and freaks have to stick together, well… I’d like that, here specifically… Look I wasn’t doing anything important back home anyway just some art retreat to get out of the house. No one will miss me and I’d… I’d like to stay here and learn magic, no I will stay and I will learn magic,” She said more firmly, fists clenching at her side.  
  
Eda’s stare was slow and measuring, even as she said, “Humans can’t use magic.”  
  
“Maybe none have ever tried the right way?” Luz countered.  
  
King tugged on Eda’s hair and whispered, “Let her stay she can get us snacks!”  
  
“I also know where you can get more crowns in the human realm,” Luz said, sweetening the deal and making the little demon gasp for joy.  
  
Shrugging, Eda slipped the key back into her hair, “Well no reason we can’t give it a go, but if you want to stay here I expect you to help out with my businesses to cover room, food and all that stuff. Deal?” She said, offering her hand.  
  
Luz took it and gave it a firm shake, “That’s actually a better rental teal than a lot of people back home get.” She pulled her hand away but felt Eda holding on.  
  
Then she looked down and screamed at the sight of Eda’s hand and her just hand in her own, a bone jutting out of it.  
  
“Oops!” Eda cheerily cut in, snatching the hand from the air as Luz tossed it back at her, “That happens.”  
  
Watching Eda screw the hand back on and giving her a wave, Luz couldn’t stop the flash of amusement that bloomed on her face.  
  
For the first time, in a long time, maybe even ever…  
  
She felt at home.


	2. The New Normal

Her mind swam in murky colors, plane walls stretched on forever, while a dry, dusty smell didn't flood so much as settle on her senses obscuring everything.  
  
She pushed her way through a crowd of dull eyed and despairing shade, her hair growing shorter, her body tinier with every step until she saw them looming over her again, rictus smile and lifeless eyes.  
  
When they spoke it was in a monotone.  
  
"Hello children," the first said, her hands clasped in front of her dress like a polite little dame.  
  
"You are all here because there is something that needs fixing," Said the other, his tone stern and authoritive.  
  
Luz stepped back, her old clothes felt cloying against her frame and every step echoed in her ears before she crashed into a lifeless crowd of dull eyed dolls in their dim dresses and simple suits.  
  
"Ah ah, ah," The first intoned gently, hands on her shoulders, the nail sinking in.  
  
"We can't have a rule breaker causing trouble," The second intoned, looming over her.  
  
She tried to speak, to move, but then she heard it.  
  
"Mija," So gentle, so warm, but it made her gut twist as she felt her mother's hands on her cheeks as she pressed a kiss on her brow, "Be normal for me OK?"  
  
Their presence surrounded her, engulfed her, she tried to breath to scream and-  
  
Luz's eyes flickered open and she stared blankly at an unfamiliar ceiling, on a faintly familiar couch with an old blanket draped across her frame and alien decorations and carvings surrounding her on all sides.  
  
The last day came flooding back, a chuckle blended with a sigh of relief escaped her lips as she sat up, shivering in excitement as she grinned, maybe just a little manically and said.  
  
"Hello, new normal."

* * *

Eda didn't so much wake up as lurch back to consciousness with with all the energy of a dying trash slug, claws scraping at her nest, as she dragged herself out and thumped against the floor.  
  
'A kill me headache... Great...' She thought, curse resting at the edges of her senses and gem, leaving a distant shrieking roiling in her core, Eda fumbled around for another bottle of her elixir.  
  
What had she done yesterday? It was something of a blur, but she knew there'd been fighting, and blasting and a lot more magic use than she liked to do so many hours after her daily dosage, forcing her to down another bottle last night.  
  
'Oh that's why,' She thought, crawling to the draws, groaning as she pushed herself up and tugged the glowing bottle out, she downed it without a thought.  
  
Tossing the bottle aside, she made her way towards the bathroom, mind growing somewhat less fuzzy as she went but by no means clear.  
  
'When did I get such boring brushes?' She half thought, looking at a used toothbrush on the counter as she did her teeth, before shrugging it off, 'Probably Owlbert,' she decided, mind trying again to piece itself back together.  
  
Flashes of emotion more than real memory as her body and mind tried and failed to keep up with a non existent, a curse that demanded she be awake at night, a job that require daytime hours, too much magic use and an elixir that had woken her up the night before just as she needed to sleep.  
  
Kicking the door open, Eda's ears twitched at the number of sounds coming from the kitchen and she made her way down the stairs, something eating at the back of her memory like a rat in her mane...  
  
Eda quickly dislodged the erstwhile rodent and lobbed it back into the woods before making it to the steps, yawning as she made her way down.  
  


* * *

Luz pulled the 'Bad Girl' mug away from her lips as she watched Eda lazily lurch her way into the kitchen, dressed in a blue skirt and purple sweater that were almost hilariously buttoned down and domestic when compared to her wild hair, fangs and sharp the red dress she'd seen on the woman the day before.  
  
"Morning, I finished your cereal," She greeted, eyes following after her would be mentor.  
  
Eda glanced at her brow knitting together as she pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed, "Who are you again?"  
  
There was a brief stab of pain and worry that Luz instantly buried beneath a smirk, raising an eyebrow she snarked, "Oh is starting prison riots with human girls you robbed, that common of a thing for you? How could you, I thought we had something special!" she added, smirking as recognition bloomed on Eda's features.  
  
Eda clicked her fingers and did a lazy finger gun, 'Definitely Bi,' Luz decided, as the witch said, "Oh right you're the mouthy teen I took in. How was the couch?"  
  
"Surprisingly comfortable actually," Luz answered absently, going back to her weird crimson drink that coated her tongue.  
  
"It should be I stole it from a very wealthy former client and- hey where's my apple blood?" She groused, poking her head over the fridge door.  
  
Luz's eyes widened as the faint taste of copper began to make sense and she spluttered, "Sangre?" Thrusting the glass towards Eda.  
  
"Yes," she answered absently, snatching up the glass and sculling it in one shot, "Guess you'll need to run to the store today, along with the other grunt work."  
  
Wiping her mouth on her sleeve Luz muttered, "Grunt work?"  
  
"Lessons aren't free," Eda said, waving her hand in the air as the sound of falling vases echoed in the halls. "You want a witches staff you'll need to earn it- OW!"  
  
Eda's staff smacked her on he side of the head and began to fall before she snatched it from the air, scowling as Luz and King's snickering, "Shut up its early."  
  
"Sorry boss lady," Luz said with a salute she wasn't sure Eda or King understood. "So what's my mission? Picking up packages left by your dealers? Running messages? Or-"  
  
"Bam!" Eda chuckled, materializing a weighty looking sack stuffed to the brim with clinking bottles in Luz's lap.  
  
"...Potions?" she asked, taking out something green and slimy looking.  
  
"Yup, the human paraphernalia is just a side hustle that 'can' be very profitable or be a total bust," she said with a careless wave. "My main source of income is in selling high quality potions and doing home delivery. Though Hooty played a role in the delivery part being necessary."  
  
The sound of wood and flesh stretching and squeaking filled the air as the flat faced owl peaked in through the window, "I made so many new friends in the old days, hoot hoot!"  
  
"Not a lot of repeat customers from back I hear," King chuckled, as he violently stabbed his breakfast.  
  
"Point being we deliver now and lots of the more unstable potions don't play nicely in the mail system," Eda crossed her arms and scoffed, "Plus I refuse to pay those outrageous stamp fees, who taxes the mail!?"  
  
luz placed the vile back in its sack gently and tapped the table, "Not for nothing but aren't you, well we, wanted fugitives?"  
  
Eda and King just sort of looked at her before shrugging, the foxy witch going, "Yeah so?"  
  
"So," luz stressed, "Won't those cops be out there in force looking for us? Bounties? Being beaten to death in an alleyway or something!?"  
  
"Ooooh, right you're new here," King giggled.  
  
Luz just looked to Eda, hoping for something more concrete.  
  
The witch was smirking, golden fang flashing in the light, "Relax kid, those idiots will be out of sorts for weeks and they know better than to start anything that directly with me."  
  
"A, they did yesterday, and B, I'm not you," Luz said.  
  
"C," Eda said, looking insufferably smug, "I've been at this longer than you, I'm your boss and I know the only way someone would give you any real trouble over me isn't with a direct attack." Her smirk grew wicked as she patted her staff's top, "They found that out the hard way."  
  
"I don't think you know how that A, B, and C thing works, but you know what, fine, I'll give it a shot, but if I die or I'm captured you owe me either a resurrections from that cute vampire chick or a staff I can smack people with."  
  
"Disrespect your staff and you'll never get one," Eda sang, pulling her up from her seat and guiding her to the door, "King you come too."  
  
"What, why!?" He screeched.  
  
"Because you both work for me to avoid paying rent, now hop to it, I need you to show my little apprentice around, make sure she doesn't get eaten or kidnapped, you know, normal stuff."  
  
"Very normal," Luz muttered, slinging the sack over her shoulder as King stomped out the door ahead of her.  
  
"Oh and Luz," Eda called, "I left some money in the bag for groceries, and remember to never trust a man in casual drapery, oh" she gasped, "And measure twice, cut once."  
  
'Is she talking about drugs?' Luz wondered.  
  
"And King, be back with her before sundown, lest you both face mortal peril, bye!~" And then she slammed the door.  
  
"Have a safe trip!" Hooty chirped.  
  
"Come on, I'm missing out on prime nap time for this," King groused, shuffling down the dirt path.  
  
Catching up to him easily, she leaned down and scooped the little demon up.  
  
"Hey what are you doing!?"  
  
"This way we can move faster, just point me in the directions we need to go."  
  
King huffed, "Well you make a better throne than a witch but don't surprise me like that again or I'll sick general snuggles the blood eater on you!"  
  
"Duly noted," she said, ignoring him to enjoy the scenery, "Let's just get to work and maybe you can point me to something not made of booze or blood at the shops?"  
  
"Or blood? Then what's the point?"  
  


* * *

Bonesborough was a lot of things, a place of magic and draconian cops for one of course.  
  
But more importantly it was gorgeous! All rough hewn houses, fleshy nightmares on every corner with jagged spikes and pulsating energies. It was the kind of place her mother would hate and the kids from her school would likely find even a single flesh trader traumatic let alone the island as a whole, but Luz? She could spend hours studying every fixture and fragment, from its buildings to its peoples, it was, in essence, art, and just her style at that.  
  
Of course that was aesthetically, realistically, on a person to person level, Luz was still a goffer in what was a service industry meaning respect was near none existent, patience did not exist and everything from guard beasts t mail boxes and fairies wanted a chunk of her flesh. None of which was helped by the fact she was still seen as much a foreigner here as she was back home. She may also have accidentally micro-aggression-ed a centaur which didn't feel great.  
  
All of that meaning that she was ready to just pack the day in and having finished delivering potions and loading up her sack with a few groceries she finally could.  
  
The shops bell wailed in pain as she and King stepped back onto the street the demon chuckling to himself, "I can't believe you wanna eat that stuff."  
  
Luz had gotten stuff from the 'vegan' section for herself. They still head meat but lacked the sheer quantities of blood and cannibalistic leanings of other food on the isle.  
  
"Look I'm new and who knows what impacts other people's blood might have on me, back in the human world that'd give a person a disease... Huh I wonder why it doesn't here... Hey King is everyone on the isles a carnivore?" It would explain all the fangs she kept seeing.  
  
"I don't know what that is and I don't care," he said absently, toying with some little things that-  
  
"Hey I didn't buy that for you," she scowled, coming to a halt.  
  
"Of course you didn't I stole-"  
  
"Thief!" Shrieked the elderly store own shrieked, a flash of light flying from their fingers and coiling around Luz's neck.  
  
"H- Hey I didn't steal it, he did!" She gasped.  
  
"Teaching a cute demon like that to steal, how could you?" they rasped.  
  
"Bye Luz!" King crowed.  
  
"¡Oh, cuando salga de aquí te tocan unas patadas!" She snapped, digging her heels into the dirt path as she was dragged towards the Witch when suddenly a flash of green filled her vision.  
  
"I shall pay for it!" they announced grandly, and the pressure on her throat abated, even as the shop keep scowled at her from over the other witches' broad shoulders.  
  
Rubbing her neck, Luz watched with a scowl as the shop keep raced back to their store, the sound of glass breaking bringing a smirk to her face as the one who paid King's debt turned to face her.  
  
He as handsome gorgeous even, rugged but still gently rounded features, with flowing dark locks of green hair, sharp eyes and an eye patch. His skin was tan and his abs on full display as he bowed to her.  
  
'No one else here bows, what's his angle?' She thought.  
  
"Well, laters," she said, drawing a surprise start from the witch.  
  
"I take it thank you's are not customary among humans?" He asked, tone smooth and elegant, reminding her of a noble companion of Azura's or how she'd pictured their voice.  
  
Snorting she said, "You don't get to hold grudges against people for harm they didn't intended but have to thank them for helping when they weren't asked? Manners are such a mess, but sure, thanks," She said, turning away, scowling as she heard him trailing after her.  
  
"Don't mention it, in fact I should be the one thanking you," he said grandly, hurrying alongside her.  
  
"Is this some lead up to a a kidnapping or does a lady walking away at top clip somehow confuse you?" She asked, rounding on him and subtly weaving out of the way of a shadowy alleyway someone might be hiding.  
  
Rather than be angered or shocked he blushed, and ducked his head, "Ah my apologies, it is just... You are the one who freed me, are you not?"  
  
"Iwa?"  
  
"From the conformatorium, I was able to escape in the chaos you caused, I've been seeking you out since this morning to thank you," He said grandly, his words heavy and rushed like they were clawing their way out of his throat.  
  
"Oh, uh, yeah that was me, well Eda mostly but I stabbed Warden Wrath in the back, so that was... Fun."  
  
"You've no idea how much I envy you for that opportunity," He chuckled, brushing his hair back and showing off his handsome features.  
  
"Yeah, well, like I said, Eda did most of the work so if you want to thank someone thank her, I'm sure she'd welcome your interest," She said, giving him a once over.  
  
She was surprised to see a flash of something bitter in his expression, "Eda is to be thanked surely but only so much, she has more power than almost any Witch on the isles, maybe any! But she only freed us because you compelled her, such a feat is by no means easily done if the rumors are true."  
  
"I doubt I can make Eda do anything, but sure, I uh, accept your thanks, are we done? I'm meant back before nightfall or I face mortal peril apparently," She said, easing her tone just a little, if nothing else he was easy on the eyes.  
  
"I think that is more a concern of the locals than from Eda but maybe I am wrong?" he shrugged, "Still, I... Had an offer, to you, Luz, yes?"  
  
"What's the offer?" She asked, idly wondering, 'Does this place run on fae name rules or whatever?' Because if so she was pretty screwed.  
  
"Of course, of course, um," He looked around and rubbed his arm, "I do not suppose I can ah, show you something? You won't need to go off the street I assure you, it shall be quite visible on your way to your mistresses house."  
  
Sighing she waved him on, half following behind him and keeping an eye on those around her, though as it happened the trip was not long as they soon passed by a small side street that led to a broken down looking stone gate and through it, Luz swallowed at the sight of a worn, broken and utterly ruined stone tower that would have once been gorgeous.  
  
The guy shivered, hands balled into fists, "That... Was my childhood home... But my parents refused to tolerate Warden Wrath's villainy and for it, they were punished. We all were," He spat, hand tracing over his eyepatch. "They died in the bowls of that cesspit, while I remained locked there for years, held for 'rebellious tendencies' they called it."  
  
"That's... OK that's nightmarish, but why show me?"  
  
Leather boots scraped on stone as he spun around, scroll in his hand, "Because I must beg your aid again," He intoned, unfurling the scroll and on it was scattered script surrounding a map.  
  
"Only the worthy?" She asked.  
  
Nodding, he said, "It was a stockpile of ancient treasures, the location of which was cloaked in protective spells and barrier, and the map hidden away. My parents uncovered the map, in truth I think that is why we were targeted," He added, lancing back at his former home.  
  
"We used to go hiking, following the map when I was young but never found anything, yet before they died my parents ensured I knew where they had hidden it away...." The paper crinkled in his grasp, "I spent all of last night looking after found the map but I... I know I am not worthy..."  
  
"So you want me to help you get a fortune?"  
  
"Yes, though I would not ask this in mere charity," he added, "For while there is much wealth to be had, the true prize is the reason for the test of worth. The Celestial Staff," He said tapping a drawing of a crystal topped staff. "It is what powers the protections, a stave so powerful it never tires, so mighty only those who can bypass its defenses can wield it. I believe you, Luz, who broke through the confortmatiorum's barriers, challenged Wrath and tamed Eda would be worthy."  
  
A part of her wanted to blush, a flutter in her heart could almost be felt but not quite, as she drew herself bac and let out a low breath.  
  
"And the fact a human might bypass those defenses on a technicality plays no role?"  
  
The witch shrugged, blushing, "The thought had occurred to me, but I would not ask this of you did I not think you could be trusted with that power. I... I know this is a lot to take in but please," He offered her the scroll, "just think on my words?"  
  
He looked desperate, and needy and her chest stirred with something distant but familiar. Sighing she took the scroll, "I'll... Think on it... Look do you have a place to sleep?"  
  
"I have my old bedroom, it is cramped but it will do, and thank you Luz, for my freedom, and for your help," He bowed.  
  
"I didn't agree to help yet."  
  
"I have faith."

* * *

Luz kept the map tucked into a deep pocket as she marched her way back to the Owl House, the streets slowly dwindling in activity as she got away from the market district.  
  
"Luz, there you are!" King chirped, leaping off from a fence and latching onto the sack, "What took so long?"  
  
"You robbed someone and left me to take the blame," she snapped, "Name one reason I shouldn't slam this sack into the ground and crush your adorably squishy body?"  
  
"Hey, hey, you gotta be quick on your feet round here, and I helped, I went back and broke a window to distract them!"  
  
Luz's arched a brow suspiciously, glaring over her shoulder, "You did?"  
  
"Of course I did," king intoned grandly, crawling all over the sack like a little monkey, "Anyway what took you so long, I couldn't find you- hey what's this paper thingy?"  
  
"Its a map or something, I need to ask Eda about it when we get home," Luz said.  
  
"A map? Sounds like dork stuff to me," King scoffed.  
  
"Yeah well no one asked you."  
  
"Which only shows their ignorance," King countered.  
  
"Yeah, yeah, now what did you steal anyway? It better have been worth me getting choked."  
  
Luz spent the rest of the trip back to the Owl House regretting asking as King extoled on the many worthy traits of the deadly jellybean and preened about his new toy crown.

* * *

'I shoulda checked my stock before I got started,' Eda thought with a sigh.  
  
Pulling open one final cupboard door, she blinked, "Huh, I was wondering where I left that," at the sight of a purple arm with bone jutting out of it. Tugging it free, she took one last look, sighed and began marching down the steps to where her potions should have, hopefully, finished brewing.  
  
"We're done!" twin voices called, slamming Hooty as they strode inside.  
  
"Ah, good," she said, patting Luz's head with the arm, "You remember the shopping?"  
  
"I did-"  
  
"She bought sissy foods and I stole stuff!" King cheered, dancing around the living room seeking his snuggle bun.  
  
"Sounds like you two had fun."  
  
Luz's scoffed, brushing the arm away from her head, "If by fun you mean got choked cos of the little thief and dealt with shitty customers, yes."  
  
"Yeah retail is hell," Eda sympathized, "Anyway unpack the shopping and then come help me bottle potions."  
  
"Wait is this a magic lesson or more work?" Luz asked, trailing after her.  
  
"Either or," Eda shrugged, "If nothing else you'll learn how to handle some... Kind of dangerous magical substances, so hey, education!"  
  
Ignoring the teens huffing, Eda waved her off in the direction of the fridge and returned to the self stirring cauldrons, only to be distracted when Luz said.  
  
"Hey. so someone gave me this on the way back," Thrusting a scrap of parchment into her face.  
  
"What a brochure, coupons?" She asked, snatching it up.  
  
"Its a map," Luz dead-panned.  
  
"Too?"  
  
"Apparently some big stash of treasure and a super staff?" Luz shrugged, eying an apple suspiciously, "Some guy we busted out of the Conformatorium last night wanted my help finding it."  
  
"Why you?" Eda asked, possibly more sharply than needed.  
  
Wrinkling her nose Luz answered, "Apparently he doesn't think that highly of you but believes I might be able to accidentally human my way past the defenses of the Celestial Staff."  
  
"Well that's how you know he's dumb," She snorted, "not liking me, who doesn't?" Slapping the paper she scrunched it up and tossed it back to the human who snatched it out of the air, "Anyway there's no such thing as a Celestia Staff let alone a giant stash of treasure."  
  
"How do you know that?" Luz asked.  
  
"Cos if there was I'd have at least heard about it and definitely claimed it myself already, come on kid I thought your head was on straight," Eda said.  
  
"There is nothing straight about me," Luz huffed. "Anyway I thought it was stupid too, but I don't know how things work here yet, it seemed sus which is why I asked you rather than galivanting off with washboard abs."  
  
"Well good thing you did," Eda said, ladling a potion into its bottle, "Probably woulda gotten cut up and sold for spell parts, oh speaking of pass me that arm, thanks."  
  
"Humans make good spell parts?"  
  
"Any flesh and blood will do for some people, I don't dabble in that junk... Much," She added at Luz's suspicious glare, "But I know my way around it, anyway help me with this already."  
  
"Sure, sure," She groaned, "Then will you see about finding me a way to do magic?"  
  
"Not tonight, maybe tomorrow, now pass me that jar."  
  
Luz rolled her eyes and got to work.

* * *

After an hour of bottling potions and then cleaning up Luz was finally free, Eda apparently having some very important task to get ready for disappeared to her room. King was napping in a fading sun-spot and Hooty was... She didn't know what Hooty was doing but it sounded 'like' singing.  
  
Seeing as her spot on the couch was taken by King, Luz pulled the map free, the parchment was heavy in her hand.  
  
'Could he be lying? Probably,' she determined.  
  
'But,' A smirk slipped onto her face, 'No one ever said I needed to go with him to find the treasure...'  
  
With that decided she unfurled the map, the crinkling sounds stirring King who grunted, "You still thinking about that dumb map? Eda said to forget about it."  
  
"Yeah well I doubt Eda cares what I do off the clock," Luz said, snapping a picture of the map, "Tell her I'll be back later."  
  
Smiling at the picture, Luz darted back into the kitchen and nabbed an ornately decorated switch blade from Eda's drawers and snatched a lighter and spray on deodorant from Eda's collection labelled 'Mystery objects' and raced out the door.  
_____________________________  
  
Draping her cloak over her shoulders, Eda snatched up Hooty and marched down the steps, "Luz, King? I forgot something on your list, so I'm going to pick it up before the stores close!"  
  
Arriving in the living room she saw King stretching and licking his chops, "What about dinner?"  
  
"Where's... Luz?" She asked, striding towards the unfolded map, foot falls growing heavy.  
  
"Oh she went off looking for that buried treasure or whatever."  
  
Snatching it up, Eda put on her magic spectacles and looked over the map again, committing every detail to memory including the familiar...  
  
"Hooty, which way did Luz go!?"  
  
The door swung open, "She went into the woods awhile ago, but don't worry she had a friend following her!"  
  
"Oh no..."

* * *

His hand rested on her shoulder, " _Hey_... I'm glad you came, Luz."  
  
Shrugging off his too familiar shoulder touch, Luz glanced back at her map and kept walking, "Yeah well I'm surprised you're here... You?"  
  
"Nevareth," he correctly gently, "And I was on my way back to continue searching when I saw you, were you... Trying to get the treasure with out me?"  
  
"Just wanted to look into it without the risk of some guy organ harvesting me," She countered.  
  
His eyes went wide, "Is that something you have to worry about with her?"  
  
"With Eda? More like in general, three letterboxes have tried to eat me, and several fairies," She countered.  
  
"She must be quite a teacher, to have inspired such devotion," Nevareth said.  
  
"Let's just get this over with- What?"  
  
Nevareth came to a sudden stop, hand going to his hilt as Luz's shifted to the can and lighter, hidden in her pockets, eyeing him warily.  
  
Looking around, he muttered, "Your mentor was right about one thing, the Boiling Isle is a dangerous place these days."  
  
The trees rustled and broke as a demonic caterwaul rung out and Luz acting on instinct, plowing her fist right into the first mobile thing she saw... Which just so happened to be a cat man barely bigger than King who hit the ground like a stuffed toy.  
  
"Did I just kill a little cat dude?"  
  
Mewling, the ratty cat stood on its hind lights, claws glinting, "Your money... Or your life..."  
  
Nevareth got between them, sword drawn, "I think not."  
  
Eyes bugging out the cat man yelped, leaping back and lobbing trinkets and junk, "Did I say your money I meant mine, here, bye, aaaaah!" Before racing off into the woods.  
  
"To think these used to be woods people took their children too," Nevareth sighed.  
  
That... Stung a little bit, so Luz snatched up some of the nicer jewelry and clapped Nevareth on the shoulder, "Well look at it this way, the trip was already profitable."  
  
He offered a rueful smirk, and took the offered bracelets, slipping it on with a smile, "Thank you, though I imagine they'll fit you better than I."  
  
Slipping on a golden bangle that reminded her of Eda's, Luz rolled her eyes, "Flattery will get you nowhere, now come on.."  
  
"As you command oh lady Luz!" He pontificated.

* * *

'I am never taking an outside referral again,' she thought, hands grasping Owlbert tightly.  
  
"Dammit kid where are you?" Eda muttered, soaring across the tree tops.  
  
'She can't have gone too far, but with an illusionist like Adegast she wouldn't even know she's been turned around...' Eda brought the map up again, looking it over, at both its secret paths and false leads, frowning. 'I should know where they're going, but does he know that and if he does has he laid a trap?"  
  
Tapping Owlbert, their pace increased drawing a shriek from King, "Hey slow down!"  
  
"No time," just keep looking," She snapped.  
  


* * *

Luz stared into the shiny purple eyes of the flirting fairy floating in front of her. Bedecked in a pink body suit that clung to her purple skin, with vibrant green hair, adorned with a little crown and a pretty smile she was stroking Luz's cheek.  
  
"You would be the bell of the ball, lovely Luz, won't you be mine?"  
  
Luz chuckled awkwardly, "Uh, not to be standoffish but most fairies I meet have tried to eat me."  
  
"They just wanted your beauty for themselves but I," She did a dramatic twirl, sparkles falling from her wings, "Think we're an even match, so what do you say?" she asked, pleaded, "Give me your last name and I shall give you mine, and you will become an eternal bride of mine, waited on hand and foot forever."  
  
'OK that has to have layered meanings, right?' Luz thought, while stepping back towards a skittish looking Nevarith, "Well that is flatting but shouldn't you take me out to dinner first?"  
  
The fairy lurched back as if struck, "You... You didn't say yes? You're rejecting me!? No one rejects me!" She screamed, as hundreds of chomping teeth filled the air as fairies fluttered from the forest.  
  
"Bring her to me!" The princess shrieked.  
  
"Time to go!" Nevarith shouted, dragging her away.  
  


* * *

"Who even is this guy we're looking for and what does he want with Luz?"  
  
"He just wants Luz to get to me, and as for who, he's an illusionist and a conman I outplayed one too many times," Eda muttered.  
  
"He can't be that smart then," King said, eyes peeled wide.  
  
"He's smart enough to have gotten others in the past and they're from here, Luz doesn't know enough about what is or isn't to realize how deep these games might go, he'll play on her suspicion as easily as he does insecurity and ego."  
  
"What does that mean?"  
  
"Hopefully you never find out."

* * *

"Into the lake, fairies hate water!" Nevarith cried, flinging himself into the rushing waters.  
  
Too big to jump and chomping fairies at her back, not much of a choice, and so Luz jumped in after him, the waters sweeping them down river and out of sight.  
  
"So did you have a plan to get out!?" She spluttered.  
  
"I was improvising!"  
  
That was when a flash of magic light surrounded them, a gentle light blue that hoisted them out of the water, dripping and very much turned around they were greeted to the sight of a grandfatherly looking wizard in star and moon robes stroking a baby fox.  
  
"Welcome, I hope you don't mind the interruption, but you seemed to be in a spot of trouble there," He said, eyes twinkling.  
  


* * *

  
King sniffed at the dirt, clawed digits pointing stiffly East, "Seems like she left this spot real quick, not sure why though?"  
  
"Probably chased or running from an illusion, ah, why didn't I think of this?" Eda cursed, thumping her forehead.  
  
"I think she jumped in the river, I might be able to pick up her scent but..."  
  
Eda shook her head, "Waste of time, we want to preempt whatever ambush he's got ready and if not that not give him more time to set it up."  
  
"Meaning what? Yeesh, so cryptic."  
  
Eda scowled, fangs flashing, "It means we're going to spring a trap."  
  
"... What!?"

* * *

"It should be here, I know it should!" Nevarith muttered, wandering in circles before a stone archway, the enchanted cape of warmth Adegast gave him flickering with every sharp step.  
  
Luz made to speak, then stilled herself, before taking one last look around for Eda, and ultimately shrugging it off, her own enchanted cloak of warmth flowing with the motion.  
  
Cutting off his pacing, she strode forward and right into the cave mouth, a distant, eerie light catching her eye, 'I hope this isn't like an angler fish...'  
  
"Luz? Luz!?" Nevarith called after her, hand shaking as he trailed to press it against the see through stone but struggled to bring himself too as if its very presence repelled him.  
  
"Come on," she sighed, reaching out and pulling him in and dragging him through the short cavern and into.. Into a-  
  
"Real life treasure trove..." She murmured, barely even aware of Nevarith's cheer as he flung himself into a pile of gold, singing about his families future.  
  
Luz's gaze fell upon a shining golden staff, ornately decorated and topped with a shining blue crystal, sitting at the heart of a small stone island with a slim path leading directly to it.  
  
Swallowing back her fears, the child in her cheering and whooping madly, Luz marched towards it and with shaking hands grasped the stave. Magic swirled around her, lighting up the sky above and-  
  
It vanished, turning to dust in her hand.  
  
She made for her weapons only for the bracelet to flash to life, unfolding and clicking around both wrists like handcuffs as her cape coiled around her like a snake, flashing bright blue it turned into a straight jacket.  
  
"Adegast?" She hissed, turning around, only to see Nevarith, his eyes dull and... Incredibly wrong, drifting in the wrong directions and too far, his smile like plasticine.  
  
"Que carajo!?"  
  
The ground erupted around her revealing the Adegast, the princess, the bandit and baby fox, each one grinning madly and suspended from a tentacle in their back. The water parted and a giant, rippling, squiggly thing with too small a head for such swollen cheeks and many teeth rose up over her, squared off teeth and wide eyes filled with mirth.  
  
Luz's jaw felt like it was cracking, straining against an invisible force as she tried to speak, "So... This was a con."  
  
The creature cackled, high and shrill, "That's right little human, I tricked you!"  
  
"Yeah well bite me, I left Eda the real map!" Luz snapped.  
  
The answer was another cackle, "Fool, did you think I failed to notice?"  
  
The flesh puppets started swirling around her, popping up in front of her face closer and closer, one by one.  
  
"The broken boy to guide you, the bandit to bangle you, the fairies to scare, the river to lose and the kindly old man to comfort and cloak you, all my characters had a starring role and you never realized it! Too lost, too arrogant, thinking yourself smarter than me, such hubris can't not betray you!"  
  
His howling laughter stung her ears, the puppets closing in around her, Luz struggled to get the dagger, the spray can, the lighter, anything!  
  
"Adegast!" Eda's sharp, commanding voice echoed and Luz felt a smile bloom.  
  
"Eda the Owl Lady, after all these years of you stealing customers from my potions business I finally have you," The monster hissed, wiggling in place, spindly arms swiping at the air.  
  
"This was about fucking money!?" She shrieked, as the puppets swarmed into the air, swiping at the floating witch.  
  
Her cry went ignored as Eda swooped and slashed, "Leave Luz out of this, I'm the one you want!" She snapped, King howling something about not needing to be a part of this  
  
"Oh did you say squeeze tighter!?" He giggled, and Luz's gasped a scream as the straightjacket crushed her chest, forced the air from her lungs, leaving her to slam into the stone.  
  
"Stop t!" A well placed tentacle strike forced Eda off her staff, coiling around Eda and King.  
  
Luz's ears twitched at the sound of metal clanging and she saw the deodorant can had slipped from her pocket. Wiggling and flopping violently, she forced herself up, chest aching.  
  
"Oh I might let her go, but you know if you get a human pet its only fair I have one too don't you think?"  
  
"Shut your fucking mouth!" Luz screamed, kicking the can with all the forced she could muster right into the monsters face, so fast it was a blur.  
  
Adegast slammed his mouth shut around the can, only for his already too wide eyes to flare as gas filled his mouth, "Aaaah! What is this!?" His grip on Eda slackened just a little an it was all she needed to wiggle free, circle flaring on her finger tip her spell shot forward and in a flash Luz was free.  
  
Chest heaving, she staggered forward, bumping against Eda's side as the Owl Lady stood guard over her, King under her arm, "What now Adegast?" She asked, devilish smirk on her sharp features.  
  
"Now you die!" He wailed, flesh puppets surging towards them.  
  
Luz flicked out the dagger and in one slash beheaded the Fairy Princess, 'It never would have worked between us anyway,' She wanted to joke, but her chest still hurt and Nevarith was swooping in with his blade drawn. Ducking around the slash, she slashed at the tentacle on his back, drawing a scream from Adegast, and freeing the body attached, only for it to crumble into dust.  
  
A flash of light caught her eyes and Eda let loose bolts of light, that ripped through the remaining tentacles. Adegast barely slithering out of the way of his well deserved impalement at the last second. Cackling he held up a wriggling King, "I have you now Eda!"  
  
"King!" Luz shouted.  
  
"Its... So... Sticky!" He cried.  
  
Eda hissed, "Put him down," Golden energy flaring around her frame.  
  
"You are in no place to make demands, Eda, I hold the high card!"  
  
"But like any novice conman you forgot about the wild card," She countered, waving her very empty hands.  
  
Adegast didn't even have time to scream as Owlbert levitated behind him, letting loose a bolt of golden magic into his back and drawing an agonized wail. King broke from and flew into Eda's arms, Owlbert, staff and all flying into her other hand.  
  
Falling in at the older woman's side, Luz watched Adegast shrink down into a wide eyed little squid, shivering and trying to wriggle away. Without a thought she stomped on one of the tentacles, "Ahora quien es la mascota?" She seethed.  
  
"Nice idea, but mine's better," Eda said, pulling him from under her foot and tossing Adegast into her mouth, swallowing him whole.  
  
Several distinct chaotic thought flashed through Luz's mind at that, as Eda smiled, "Sorry did you want some?"  
  
"Ah... No I'm good..." She offered Eda the dagger, "Sorry I screwed up," The words were familiar in a sense, or at least the gut churning sensation of self loathing and disappointment were.  
  
Eda folded Luz's hand around the dagger, "Keep it, might come in handy for creeps, or collecting herbs... Shoulda led with that."  
  
"That's...it?" Luz said slowly.  
  
Eda shrugged, "Yes?"  
  
"But, I screwed up, I thought I could trick him and got played, I fell for something so stupid and you were in danger, why aren't you more angry, or disappointed or... Something!?"  
  
"Easy kid, slow down," Eda said, ruffling her hair through her beanie, "Yeah you got played, it happens, especially when you're just starting out, honestly you did better than lots of folks here. You made Adegast work for that and you still got out on your own."  
  
"You still had to win the day though," She said quietly.  
  
"So? You think King can get himself out of sweaters alone?"  
  
"Hey we agreed to never discuss that!" He harped.  
  
"Looking out for each other is just a thing to do, no need to get all dramatic or sentimental about it," Eda chuckled, jabbing her side.  
  
"I..." Luz's everything felt off balance and faintly panged, like some old injury was playing up. Rubbing her arm, she muttered, "Thanks Eda, today's been shit but you came through for me when you didn't need to."  
  
She looked up to see a faint frown on Eda's lips, before the woman grabbed her by the wrist and said, "Come on, this dump is a real mood killer!"  
  
Pulling them onto Owlbert, they soared into the and soon enough Luz found herself watching a near picture perfect sunset, the soft, crimson tinged orange light playing off the steaming waters, casting everything in an unearthly glow.  
  
"Woah..." Was all she could say.  
  
Eda leaned back as far as one could on a staff and said, "People can really suck the joy out of things sometimes..."  
  
King perked up from her lap, "Especially cunning demons that tell you sweet lies."  
  
"But," Eda stressed, "There's some good stuff to be found here to, and occasionally some not crummy people too, you just gotta keep looking and working until you find-em."  
  
The chill winds washed across her tired frame and Luz leaned against Eda's sharp shoulders, the woman's grey mane swirling around her as she, "Thanks," Was all she could somehow muster, a lump in her throat.  
  
"No problem kid," Eda murmured, slinging an arm around her shoulder, as they watched the sun set.  
  


* * *

  
The trip back to the Owl House was made in a sort of comfortable silence. They were greeted to the sight of Hooty dozing, while Eda looked sleepy and Luz's thoughts had finally had time to catch up to her.  
  
"saaay, you know I did get captured today," Luz said, gently ribbing Eda.  
  
"Eh?"  
  
"So do I get a wand, or a staff?" Luz smirked.  
  
"No apprentice of mine is using a wand," Eda countered with a roll of her eyes, "and besides that was if you got caught on the job, not treasure hunting afterwards."  
  
"Ah damn it, maybe I'll have better luck tomorrow?" she chuckled.  
  
King was clambering up onto her spot on the couch, "Just try not to get played by any demons again, I need my beauty sleep."  
  
"Oh Kiiing," She hummed, "Speaking of cunning demons, it occurs to me, I don't actually know you broke that window."  
  
"What? Oh, Oh no. Eda!" He howled, racing to escape kicking range.  
  
Eda just cackled as she watched Luz give chase.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again and thanks for reading, I hope it proved enjoyable! Also major thanks to dan-heron for their help with this chapter! Any questions, comments or critique are welcome!
> 
> The Spanish used in this chapter translates to:  
> Sangre = Blood  
> ¡Oh, cuando salga de aquí te tocan unas patadas! = Oh when I get out of here you are so kicked!  
> Que carajo = What the fuck  
> Ahora quien es la mascota = Now who's the pet?


	3. A World Without Teenage Abominations

_**Two Years Prior:**_  
  
The day had started as Amity had expected.  
  
She'd gotten up early to go over her notes and spells, triple checked her abomination before setting off and taking a slightly different route to school, one she knew Willow used, to let off some steam, on her once and former friend.  
  
All had gone as expected, save Willow being late for class. She'd put on a show of trying to save everyone from extra homework but it was clear the professor had every intention of increasing their workload and Willow was as ever his favorite victim. Angry jeers and insults left the girl quaking and miserable and Amity pushed down the kernel of pain in her heart.  
  
Then things had gotten slightly off.  
  
She'd linked up with her assigned friends and the Grudgby Team members to make their way to one of the few shared classes and Skara spied Willow looking through a window into the greenhouse, likely to calm her nerves.  
  
"Hey didn't she get you extra home work?" The bard had asked.  
  
Which she had, but Amity hadn't minded, she'd used it as an excuse to beg off spending time with the girls. However, the fact Skara's words drew an annoyed grunt from Boscha, told Amity the other girl had been planning something big to do with her and Amity's homework keeping her from it left her grouchy.  
  
Needing a cover she made it a point to jeer Willow and pushed the other girl up against the glass as they passed, "She did, thanks for ruining my social life, Half a Witch."  
  
She didn't notice Willow shaking not with tears but with anger.  
  
She didn't see her eyes flashing green with raw power.  
  
She didn't hear her words until it was too late.  
  
"I hate Abominations, I hate this school and I hate YOU!"  
  
The greenhouse began to scream as plants writhed and surged, swelling to monstrous size, their roots slammed against windows and walls, shattering them in an instant. 

A snarling life trapper surged towards her, tongue made of thorny vines.  
  
She was too stunned to move.  
  
Boscha wasn't.  
  
"Amity!"  
  
The tri-eyed girl tackled her out of the way and was gobbled up instead, the plant slamming its face into the cement to deny her any escape as its kindred ripped through the ceiling and floors alike, no longer even directed as Willow stood by radiating magic as if in a trance.   
  
Amity couldn't even scream, let alone rise and run like some of the others.  
  
The schools security flared to life, and she saw a burning purple light emanate from the Life-Eaters frame before a rippling explosion of fire tore it to shreds, freeing a bloodied and bruised Boscha who snarled, "I guess you get to die as whole Witch Willow!"  
  
Engulfing her body in lavender flames she surged towards Willow like a meteor, only a horde of abominations called by Bump stalled her charge as he used his not inconsiderable skill and the schools defenses to quell the plants, calm Willow and, just barely, hold a savagely angry Boscha in place.  
  
Unsurprisingly, school day was cancelled for repairs but thanks to no one being "seriously" injured and the power Willow displayed, Amity heard first that the other girl was being transferred to the Plant Track. The words, "A talent greater than the current covens head if I do say so myself!" had been spoken in just the right ears.  
  
A part of her wanted to use it as an excuse to see her old friend again, to tell her parents they were wrong... But that ship had long since sailed and given a very new flicker of something in her chest, she couldn't even justify such an act to herself.  
  
So instead she went to Boscha's.  
  
The other witches house was humble, especially compared to her own or even Skara's, Boscha's parents having clawed their way into her and Skara's social circle through sheer magical power and cutthroat work practices rather than any real wealth or pedigree.  
  
She skipped over meeting with Boscha's passive aggressive mother and finally used those flying shoes the other girl had gotten her to levitate up to the window of her small room, finding the purple haired witch grunting in exertion as she forced her still wounded body through rigorous push ups.  
  
Tapping on the window, three angry eyes flashed at her before dimming into something almost fearful. Wiping away the sweat and racing closer, Boscha opened the window, "Amity, hey, uh, you came by." Her eyes were oddly wide and almost worried as she looked around her tiny living space, "You didn't have too, come on, I know somewhere really cool we can go, just let me get my jacket-"  
  
Amity floated through the window, landed at her side and grasped Boscha's wrist as gently as she could while still keeping her in place.  
  
"You... You jumped in the way of those spell plants, you got hurt, and you're are missing Grudgby... For me?" The words were awkward, foreign, she wasn't meant to look weak, let alone sound it and confusion was ill fitting for a Blight but she couldn't escape the uncertainty of it all and the sudden blush on Boscha's cheeks only added to the confusion.  
  
The girl scoffed awkwardly, struggling to meet Amity's gaze "Its nothing, I mean hey, we're friends right?"  
  
They weren't, not to Amity, never had been and yet...  
  
Evidently her silence got to the taller girl, "I mean, it didn't even really hurt, I mean come on, I'm fine I-"  
  
Amity put a hand on Boscha's lips, whispering, "Thank you, and yes, let's go do something fun~"  
  
The smirk that spread on her face came too easily and matched Boscha's own near perfectly.

* * *

**_Present Day, Present Time:_**  
  
The gentle light of the afternoon sun washed in through the greenhouses pristine windows, as Willow gently tended to the last of her tasks for the day.  
  
Feeding the Life Sapper its evening meal.  
  
The hulking juggernaut of a plant grumbled and bristled in its place, veiny pustules lining what passed for a head its inner maw swam in subtle acids and fleshy, crimson red lining, its viny prehensile tongues poking out between jagged fangs.  
  
"It's coming, its coming," she said, gently stroking the plant under the chin. The demonic plant was too accustom to feeding times, it had lost the instincts of an ambush predator to be replaced by those of a somewhat spoiled guard beast that lived by the clock.  
  
Sliding the tray of bones and squirming meat into the plants greedy maw it silenced any ill content with a single violent snap and simmered down, preening as she patted its head, a faintly green tinge to her eyes.  
  
'We need to look into some kind of rehabilitation program, plants shouldn't be so tame,' she thought.  
  
The serenity of her refuge was shattered when a familiarly high voice cried, "Willooooww!" as a smaller witch in blue kicked in the door, rousing the shrieking and hissing menagerie of viny death.  
  
A sharp swirl of her finger and a flash of magic saw the plants retreating to their rest as Augustus ended his invisibility spell, chucking, "Sorry, I forget how moody these plants can be."  
  
"Well most monsters don't like being disturbed in their lair," She said, dusting the younger witch off, "Is your dad OK with you being here?"  
  
Augustus scoffed, "What? Of course he is. Like I said he's really loosened up... Also he's at work."  
  
"Just what I thought," she sighed, waving for him to follow her on one last tour around the greenhouse, "So how was your day?"  
  
"Hm? Oh I'd need to check fake Gus's notes to know that, I've been far too busy," He answered, practically vibrating with excitement.  
  
That caught Willow's attention, "Its pretty unusual for you to illusion your way out of every class, what happened?"  
  
Hopping from one foot to the other as he practically pranced around her, Augustus said, "A human, a real live human has been sighted on the Boiling Isle!"  
  
"Is this going to be like-"  
  
"No, not like last time, I learnt my lesson, this is confirmed by several people who know she bypassed the anti magic barrier at the Conformatorium before blowing it up!"  
  
The plants rustled and Augustus stilled at her stare, as she said, "A human blew up the Conformatorium?"  
  
"Well she was there, my sources were a little mixed on the specifics but she's also been sighted in town arguing with a with over art theft, making deliveries and her ears are round and she has some kind of fuzzy cap growing out of her head, no mention of gills yet and-"  
  
"You didn't find her?" Willow cut in with an sympathetic grin.  
  
Augustus sighed, "Not yet, but I will, I must! its the only way to get back my crown as president of the human appreciation society."  
  
"What makes you think she'll agree to help you with that?" Willow asked.  
  
Augustus rubbed his chin, "Hmm, you raise an excellent point, I may need to negotiate with her, for that I will need pogs... Or perhaps my nickel collection, that would make her rich in the human realm."  
  
"Speaking of the human realm, I'm rather confused how a human got here?" he asked, snatching a Blood Apple off a tree and splitting it in half, giving one half to her companion.  
  
Taking it eagerly, Augustus's ears bounced in confused uncertainty, "That's another question I have for her, my best bet right now is a trash slug of some sort, but it could be tied to the Owl Witch and her rumored door."  
  
Willow rolled her eyes at that, "You've got to stop believing every rumor you hear, no one but the Emperor could have that kind of magic just floating around, let alone use it to sell pilfered goods."  
  
"How do we know though?" He intoned dramatically, clutching at his cloak, "She is the one who blew the roof off Conformatorium and defeated all the guards, even Warden Wrath."  
  
"Allegedly," Willow countered, "The official records say otherwise."  
  
"I guess I'll just have to find her and ask myself," Augustus resolved.  
  
"Well, whatever happens, good luck, Augustus," Willow said, clapping him on the back, gently.  
  
"Thanks Willow," Augustus stilled as his alarm started biting into his arms, "Ack, I gotta go, sorry."  
  
"Its fine, if you can slip away I'll see you tomorrow?" She asked.  
  
"I always slip away," He laughed, racing out the door and calling over his shoulder, "If I find her I'll ask for human plant seeds for you!"  
  
Willow waved him off with a grateful, "Thanks" and only once he was gone, did she pick up her bag to begin a quiet walk home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this chapter was a bit of a break from the previous too and while not originally planned I am feel/hope this proves a smooth way to contextualize where the other character are at least to an extent, any feedback, questions or other comments are most welcome thanks for reading! 
> 
> Also thanks again to Dan-heron for their support and assistance! 
> 
> Also a cookie to whoever gets the reference :3c


	4. Trial in the Elements

Dual foot steps echoed on the staircase as Luz pursued a cloaked Eda towards the door, her voice high and sharp, "Come oooon, just one spell."  
  
"Not right now, I'm busy," Eda grunted, waving her hand for Owlbert.  
  
Luz's entire torso contorted itself back as she groaned, "Uggh, you're always busy!"  
  
"Why do you want me to walk you through a spell anyway?" The Witch said, snatching her staff out of the air, "Its not like you have a bile sack to cast with."  
  
"That's another thing," Luz berated, "You said you'd be researching a way for me to cast magic, have you?"  
  
"Some, but this one isn't my fault, Belos wiped out most ancient knowledge when he took over, so my sources are limited," The Witch said, tone going from beleaguered to bitter in an instant.  
  
"Wait whose Belos?" Luz asked, trailing after Eda as the witch slipped through the door.  
  
"Emperor and a real piece of work, anyway, bye!~" She called, jumping onto Owlbert and surging into the sky.  
  
"Bruja traidora!"  
  
Her cry of betrayal fell on deaf ears and Luz lazily slumped her way back into the Owl House, ignoring Hooty's half sincere, half mocking "better luck next time!" she flumped onto the floor and groaned, "I think she just keeps me here as a source of free labor."  
  
"Nah," King said, tapping away at her phone, "If that were true she wouldn't feed ya, we'd make you hunt for your food, haha, yes, killer beast, slay!"  
  
Luz's gaze half drifted to the cat video watching demon, "So then why's she so wishy washy on teaching me anything?"  
  
King shrugged, "Eh who knows, buuuuut," He dropped her phone and looked to her smugly, "you want to know how to get Eda to do magic for you right?"  
  
"And a million other things but that's a good start, yes," Luz said, pushing herself up and blowing errant strands of hair from her face.  
  
"Weeeellll," King teased, flopping onto the lounge, "A belly rub might remind me of Eda's weak spot."  
  
"Is it compliments? No, money! Wait-"  
  
"The more guesses you make the her the price goes, your liege now also demands ear scratches!"  
  
Sighing, Luz forced herself up, "Not really challenging the cute mascot vibe you got going on are you?"  
  
The demon huffed, "A king is doted on by their subjects, this is just that."  
  
However the moment she scratched his belly his leg started kicking as he wiggled and giggled like a toddler, "Sure," Luz said noncommittally, "Anyway before we get to Eda's weak spots, whose this Belos guy?"

* * *

"Hot dignity daffodil," Eda cheered, snatching up the Elixir and sculling the bottle in one ravenous gulp.  
  
The liquid was so familiar to her now it might as well have tasted like water but the faint bubbly feeling clinging to her tongue afterwards still tingled.  
  
"Glad you got here in time, though you wanna be careful," Morton said, pulling out a second elixir bottle, "This is my last one."  
  
Eda slapped Morton's desk and shoved her head into the Witches stall, "Why do you only have two bottles!?"  
  
The redhead cringed, "Well gee E, you normally don't show up this early so my new shipment hasn't come in yet."  
  
Eda's malformed nails dragged along the wood as she pressed herself face down into the counter, "Please tell me the new shipment comes in soon."  
  
"Well fortunately yes, but not for a couple of days, so uh, I mean..." Morton toyed with their robes, "I'd suggest being careful with your magic-"  
  
"I know how to manage my own curse Morton," She signed, weaving a protective spell around the remaining elixir and sealing it in her pouch, "Guess I'll be a homebody for a few days, hah, at least I can send my apprentice out to do the delivery runs."  
  
"Oh I heard about that, how's that whole teaching... thing going?" Morton asked, leaning on the counter.  
  
"Not bad, I mean I think its OK." Eda shrugged, "She's human so I'm not even sure I can teach her, but she bottles potions and preps them like a champ so I can work with that at least, as to the rest..."  
  
Morton hummed sympathetically, "Have you tried telling her?"  
  
"Tried but she's insistent and I know," She waved her hand to convey what went unsaid, "Something is possible, and if any witch can do it, its me, I just need more time."  
  
Nodding, the portion-ere said, "Well you'd know better than me so good luck with that, oh and tell her some kid has been looking for her, I don't think its serious but he asked after your apprentice yesterday knowing I sell to you."  
  
"I trust you gave him the run around?" Eda smirked.  
  
Morton grinned sweetly, "To a 'paying' customer, neeever~"  
  
Bother snickered and snorted at that remark, before Eda stilled, plague masks glinting in the distance, "Well I gotta book it, have a good one!~" She called, taking off into the sky.  
  
"Take care, and mind your, well you know!"  
  
Eda waved him off, mind turning over her needs and new information as she went, different thoughts competing for attention as she took a mental, magical inventory, one hand on her crystal as she felt the faded curses distant presence, a frown touching her lips as she flew home.  
  
'Just gotta be careful with the magic for a few days, easy enough, I've done it before...'  
  
Of course it hadn't been so necessary before and back then she hadn't had a student or blown up the conformatorium before the week was even out. Swallowing back her worries she opted to just enjoy the early morning view as the sun began to wash over the Boiling Isle in earnest.  
  
Her curse rankled at the brightness, Eda ignored it, grinning wildly.

* * *

Luz lounged upon the fancy seat that doubled as her bed, half rolled onto her side and watching the door as the wood split and compressed, warping as it was morphed or perhaps swallowed by Hooty, letting Eda strut in.  
  
"Hey there, Eda," Luz called with a lazy wave and teasing smirk.  
  
The elder witch glanced at her and snorted, "Whatever you're doing, stop it."  
  
"Oh you mean, showing off this?" She asked, pressing the top of a kids light up pen she'd pulled out of Eda's "Junk" pile.  
  
The moment the little bear atop it began to flickered and pulse with a faint red light, it was like a transformation took place before her. Eda's eyes practically grew in size, her sharp scowl went almost inhumanly wide as her fangs flashed in the light, "Oh how it sparkles," She murmured, marching towards Luz.  
  
'Mierda, funciona!'  
  
As Eda started reaching for the pen, Luz chuckled and slipped it into her sleeve, "Hey, I don't tease you," Eda crowed.  
  
Giving the witch a flat stare, Luz just waited.  
  
"... Much," Eda conceded.  
  
"I'm not just yanking your chain here Eda, this is what we call negotiating," Luz preened, rising to her full height which back home had been impressive, but before Eda... Still left her feeling rather small give she was barely gem gem height with the seven foot tall owl witch.  
  
Snorting, Eda folded her arms, "Let me guess, I show you a spell and I get the shiny trinket?"  
  
"Consider the pen my down-payment, what I want is for your undivided attention until we make some real progress on this magic problem, and my payment is me making your bed sparkle like the stars at night," She said with a cocky flick back and forth of her long locks.  
  
"Oh yeah, I'm sure you can do that so easily," Eda's voice trailed off as Luz held up her phone with a pre-set video of art sparkles up and playing.  
  
"It sparkles, it shines it shimmers and delights, I must have it for my nest," She nearly crooned, tapping at the screen.  
  
"Nest? I mean, yes I can do this, see, so I want your attention, nay, demand it as payment. Also, nest?" Somehow that sounded equal parts intriguing, terrible and cool.  
  
"Yes a nest and as to this down right extortion," Eda said snappily before suddenly going quiet.  
  
"Eda?"  
  
The silver fox of a woman was rubbing her chin, characteristic smirk back in place and making Luz want to smirk with her, as she murmured, "I am ahead on my potions and the Knee would be perfect."  
  
Before Luz could even ask, Eda clapped, "I despise and respect you cunning punk, but you got a deal."  
  
"Seriously!?"  
  
"Naturally," Eda answered grandly, "Now I don't know for sure if this method will work but its a good bet and not something I've had the chance to look into yet."  
  
"What is it?"  
  
"The Knee," she answered, pulling a map from her hair and pointing to a snow-capped mountain Luz realized was actually a giant knee bone.  
  
'Wait aren't knees- No. Its magic, just roll with it,' She thought, quieting her inner medical training.  
  
"The Knee was a sacred place to the earliest witches, it was where they first honed their magic. That same power they harnessed permeates the air and land making it an ideal place to use and study magic. Plus there's some nifty ruins lying around that may be of some use."  
  
"That, that actually sounds perfect," Luz said, "So we're going to this Knee?"  
  
"Yup, King and Hooty can watch the house while we're gone so pack something warm, we're going to magic boot camp!"  
  
"Yes!"  
  
She stalled her cheer, "Wait magic what?"  
  
Eda smirked, "I never said learning magic would be fun, Luz, now chop chop, daylights burning!"

* * *

The Knee loomed large over the Boiling Isles, a snowy mountain lined with what seemed to be stone outcroppings, stern and sturdy trees, as well as snow capped ruins.  
  
Suffice to say, it was everything Luz knew she would have once been bursting with excitement over, and some part of her still was, intrigue and interest keeping the fell chill at bay as she held her fingers in the shape of a rectangle, looking over the scenery.  
  
"What are you doing over there?" Eda called from flat spot near a stony outcropping that looked over a deep ditch.  
  
"Just getting a feel for the place," Luz answered. Shoving her hands into the thick furred jacket Eda had given her, how the woman had, had one in her size Luz didn't think to ask, but given it was from sewn together beasts there was a good chance it was new, unlike the hollowed out, furry spider she was wearing.  
  
"Well that's a good start, but before we get to anything like that," Eda said, lazily lobbing a thick bag into Luz's chest which she barely caught, "you need to set up the tent."  
  
"Uh, can't you just magic it up?"  
  
"I could, but then you won't learn anything," Eda chuckled.  
  
"This is cos I bribed you?"  
  
"Playin on my impulses is a minor offence," Eda said airily, as she slipped behind Luz and clapped her on the shoulders. "We're here to study wild magic, Luz, something not truly seen in fifty years and one thing I know about it is that the witches of old engrossed themselves in the natural world with both mind and body."  
  
"Hence a tent?" she countered.  
  
"Hence a tent made of animals I hunted here; I make the tent, you set it up. Try get really stuck into it, but don't take too long, cos once that's done we have to taste test snow identify moss, trees and duck-"  
  
"Du-aaah!"  
  
Eda tackled Luz to the ground, drawing Owlbert as a bellowing roar shook the earth and a dark shadow leapt over them and into the forest well below.  
  
"Phew, just passing through," Eda said, hoisting Luz to her feet in a half hug, that left her a little lost for words.  
  
"Ah, w- what was that?" She finally managed, only to be lifted off her feet and planted back down facing the opposite direction to look upon the forests below.  
  
"That right there, Luz, is a Slitherbeast," Eda intoned gravely as she motioned to a massive white furred monster.  
  
It was a hunched, thing, but had the look of a biped, making its every motion look gangly and wrong. No eyes could be seen, but pink tentacles spouted from its face and formed a vague approximation of a nose, while a rounded, fang filled maw unhinged itself open like a whale as it pounced on some unfortunate creature Luz didn't even get to see before it was crushed in the hunters jaws.  
  
"They're one of the most ferocious predators on the Knee, they trap pray in a mucus produced by their mouth and take their meals back to a cave for seasoning and live devouring," Eda said, as the monster buried its sloth like claws into the hillside and clambered its way up.  
  
"Ah, there's the Boiling Isles brutality twist," Luz gasped, pressing herself against Eda as the monster clambered back onto the same level as them, took one suspicious sniff in their direction before turning and bounding away into the snow.  
  
"Yup, we don't have animals," Eda chuckled, "We have monsters, nightmarish horrors and Dread Beasts. Aaah, nice to get out into nature, don't you think?"  
  
Luz just swallowed.

* * *

Nearly an hour later and the tent was set up, a rounded off construct of leather and fur that looked rough yet somehow incredibly homey.  
  
"No es que pueda disfrutarlo," Luz groused as she stomped through the forest, snatching up twigs, shoving snow in her mouth and sniffing moss.  
  
"You identified the last tree type yet?" Eda called from a perch on a thick branch, a cup of hot Bean-Blood in her hands, as she lazily swung her leg in what would have been a cool and charming pose if it weren't pissing Luz off right now.  
  
Luz's response was to punch the nearest tree, only to splutter and spit as a tide of snow crashed into her head. Snarling she made to deliver another well deserved kick when a sharp hand encompassed her beanie and firmly spun her around, though not so fast it hurt.  
  
Eda was scowling at her, never a good sign.  
  
"Something on your mind," She enquired, taking a measured sip of her drink.  
  
"You know what's on my mind, Eda," Luz snapped.  
  
"I mean besides my hand," she said, a sharply pointed finger tapping her forehead.  
  
"OK, one you are wasting this ability," Luz muttered, "And two puns won't distract me from you giving me the damn run around, as usual. Since when did magic involve any of this crap!?"  
  
Eda snorted, and made to speak, only to still, drawing herself up slowly, she dropped from the tree and snagged back her hand, golden eyes boring into Luz's own.  
  
"Do you really think magic is just wave a finger and flashy stuff happens? Is that the sum total of regard you have for this ancient art, one that makes up the very fabric of Boiling Isle society, our world?"  
  
Luz gulped, "That's... That's not what I meant, I just..."  
  
Eda sighed, "Listen to me Luz, magic is not just in Witches Bile Sacks, its in the air we breath, its in the plants, the animals, the Wailing Stars and more. Academies try and tame it, Belos wants anything that doesn't bow to be broken then forgotten and the magic of the island is mysterious at the best of times, but it is there."  
  
Hands coming down on her shoulders, Eda's voice was firm and intense but bereft of heat, "Luz, you're not stupid, so you know this isn't going to be easy, but I am trying, OK? So just try to have a little faith."  
  
Luz's chest stirred and she swallowed back something as she nodded, "Fine, OK, you're right, this is new territory just... No, OK let's do this."  
  
Eda smirked and released her, leaving Luz to spin on her heel and blink as she saw bloody sap sliding down the tree she's struck, "Wait is this-"  
  
"Yep!" Eda cackled.

* * *

Luz was bored, and cold, and hungry, but despite that she was trying dammit!  
  
Trying to maintain her focus on the island, trying to hear sounds that weren't there on the sharp winds, to feel something rumbling beneath the earth.  
  
But for all the Knee's grand vistas and stunning views, there was only so long she could sit on a rock thinking before her mind wandered and restlessness set in.  
  
Casting a quick glance back at Eda, the witch was gently stirring a stew that spelled pleasantly spicy and meaty, perfect for the cold weather.  
  
'At least she's not using magic either,' Luz thought, 'Then again who needs magic when she has you as a gopher?'  
  
Slapping her knees, Luz returned her attention to the thick blanket of snow, shadowed woods and crumbling architecture.  
  
'Huh, was that a fort in the old days? I'd need to check the foundations more but...' Luz's frowned, something dancing on the edge of her senses, was it curiosity, a spark of interest or something more?  
  
'Maybe there is magic here but its in the ruins?' Given Eda's speech it felt disrespectful to suggest as such, but the other option if not merely her mind playing tricks on her was...  
  
"Hey Eda!?" She called.  
  
"Dinner's not ready yet," her mentor called back, taking a sip of the stew, "And unless you've forged a connection with the island that is both intellectually, physically, oh and maybe spiritually fulfilling, your ass stays parked on that rock!"  
  
"Yeah that's fine but can I use my sketch book? I feel like I'd vibe with this place more if I could look at it from-"  
  
"Sure, you brought it right?"  
  
"... Sure?" She asked, spinning on the rock, head at a curious tilt.  
  
Eda shrugged, "Everyone concentrates and focusses different ways, maybe art is a good medium to communicate what the Isle is trying to tell you? If not, hey worth a shot, so have at it, we still got half an hour before the bones in this disintegrate anyway."  
  
Ignoring that, Luz jogged to the tent and snatched up her sketchbook and pencil, "Thanks Eda, and ahh, does that meal risk luring in predators?" She added, noting the quickly becoming familiar tang of copper in the air.  
  
"Maybe, but nothing Owlbert can't handle," She chuckled, as the owl preened proudly on her shoulders, eyes flashing a brilliant gold for but a moment.  
  
"Fair enough," And with that she returned to her rock and started scoping out her newest scene.

* * *

Dinner was meaty and thick, Eda had even needed to do a small side dish of less gruesome vegetables for Luz alone. As they warmed themselves by the fire, scoffing back food, Eda glanced at the half finished sketch players of trees cloaked behind outlines of stonework catching her eyes.  
  
"Looks interesting," She hummed.  
  
Blowing on her stew, she murmured, "Thanks, I'm trying to draw what's there now and what I think was there in the past, its hard to tell though based on the ruins, but that's kind of the point."  
  
"So like stacking it in layers?" At Luz's nod, Eda added, "Interesting idea there, sounds almost like you're trying to create your own code."  
  
"Something like that, no luck yet but its only been a day," Luz said, trying to avoid sounding too bitter.  
  
"Magic takes time sadly, especially experimental stuff, though if it helps I'd recommend comparing your work to what is there now and what you remember drawing, magic has a way of sneaking itself in," Eda said.  
  
"Like that weird nightmare creature that wanted to seal me in a portrait?" Luz said, shuddering a the memory of the stooped shadow beast, its wriggling, grinning gaze not burned into her memory but certainly leaving an impression.  
  
"Something like that, but like I said that creep was more a trickster than anything else, hehe, remember how he screamed when I said Hooty could play with him?"  
  
Luz's grin was equally vicious as she chuckled, "Gosh that look on his face, it was great!"  
  
Their raucous laughter filled the air as the night passed them by.

* * *

Night fell heavy upon the island, the biting winds grew harsher and sharper, the darkness made the shadows lance out like something reaching to grab any passerby, distant predators and prey scurried and dueled across the vast snowcapped hills as the moon and stars washed over the land.  
  
Eda had turned in early and suggested Luz do the same, but she was feeling too wired for that, though having Eda floundering and flexing about the tent as she slept didn't help.  
  
Her efforts to finish her sketch in the dark had proven... More fruitful than expected. It was rough, sure, but she had layers of forest, snow and stiff brickwork laid out before her. Each stroke of the pencil had been her own, but she'd gotten so engrossed in the art there were details she didn't remember adding, fragments and half formed doodles that she couldn't wholly explain.  
  
Holding it before her, glancing between the sketch and the landscape, Luz's eyes began to cross as she sought something, anything and-  
  
The ground mumbled, and something echoed in waves, just out of earshot but radiating in her ear drums.  
  
'Is that... The island?'  
  
Glancing around the camp, Luz placed her sketchbook back at the tent, but pocketed her pencil and some paper scraps just in case. Drawing the knife Eda had gifted her, she slowly trudged into the snow, seeking the elusive sound and sensations that danced on the edges of her senses.

* * *

Eda's mind was drawn back to wakefulness by the dual sensation of her curse scratching at the edge of her senses, the beast was sensing prey and the dead of night exciting and riling it. But such long familiar emotions pressing in on her sleeping mind did not alone draw Eda from her slumber.  
  
Rolling over, a hand brushing across where Luz should have been and finding nothing, however, did.  
  
Shooting up, Eda's ears twitched and her eyes scoured the darkness like it was second nature when something distant and familiar scratched at her eardrums.  
  
'A griffon, and a wyverm?'  
  
"Luz?"  
  
She pulled open the tent and saw signs of footsteps lit up by the brightness of the moon, a quiet gasp escaping her lips.  
  
"Oh no."

* * *

Luz's pace through the forest grew ever hastier and clumsier as the thick snow and land beneath became increasingly unstable and warped. Roots like rocks jutted out from the ground, sink holes and rises switched places almost at a whim and in the distance she could hear the sounds growing louder, as strange scents filled the air.  
  
Chest heaving and breath coming out in a thick mist, Luz tried to remember the guidelines for the cold. Snagging a branch she hoisted herself out of the snow and peaked through the treeline, eyes wide as she took in the stars and sparkling night sky.  
  
'A world with out light pollution', She mused.  
  
Ears twitching, Luz stiffened as she heard something, lots of something's skittering and pattering and-  
  
'Spider!' She flung the black arachnid from her gloved hand only to spit out a curse as as tough but smooth silken web wafted through the air and the sensation dancing on her senses grew ever louder as she felt more spiders crawling along her thick coat and pants.  
  
"Coño!"  
  
Luz flung herself from the root and into the snow, slashing and slapping at her frame wildly, as a veritable sea of spiders starts spilling out across the snow, dropping from the treeline and stampeding across every surface.  
  
Biting her cheek, Luz tore her way across the snow, churning it up around her in a bid to bamboozle the tiny creatures as she tried to race off their path.  
  
Feeling stone beneath her she leapt wildly over another bounding bunch of arachnids, only to cry out as the ground she landed on sank beneath her feet, forcing her to bury her face in the snow to let another wave pass over.  
  
Her face was stinging when she pulled free, tearing her way through silk and ripping through anything in her way, Luz tugged herself from the snow and darted towards the slopes edge as spiders began dropping from the branches and swarming in every direction, behind her, at her side, before her even!  
  
She didn't know how long she ran for, but everything hurt, her mind was buzzing as she burst from the tree line, drool running down her chin as she staggered and gasped her way out of the trees, a bigger than usual spider dangling limply from her dagger. She voraciously ripped away at the webs lining her frame and froze, as a scream and a roar echoed on the winds.  
  
In the sky was the source of the call, it was a spectacularly violently display of bloody scales and torn muscle.  
  
On one side, was an elongated snake that would loom larger than several houses, its purple scales touched crimson, with thick wings of waxy sinew beating against the wind. Its head was a sharp elongated maw with rows of teeth, resembling more a pterodactyl spliced with a pelican, its throat swelling to bulbous size as it blanched toxic fumes.  
  
Clinging to the longer but by no mean's broader monsters frame was a griffon, the head of a pigeon was practically stitched onto the body of a lion, wings stapled to its back, as discordant muscles and sinew melded together in a fascinating sight of strength and stretched skin, burns marring fur and feather alike as it vomited spiders from its beak.  
  
For a moment Luz's concerns were forgotten as she stared up at the mighty and murderous display, muttering, "Monsters are fighting," in mixed disappointment and awe. Only for her eyes to grow wider and her heart to start thunders in hear ears as they began to grow closer and faster.  
  
"Oh joder, los monstruos están peleando!"  
  
She turned to run but couldn't find even one location, locked with her back to the a thirty foot drop and the looming hills before her, Luz could only freeze and watch as the monsters slammed with a thunderous crash into the high woods. Their snarling, screeches and roars accompanied by the sound of rumbling stone and roaring snow as the slopes came alive with a roiling wave of white that was barreling towards her.  
  
Looking behind her Luz's mind frantically grasped at the last straw. Clutching her dagger tight she raced to the ledge, intent on driving the blade into the rock and hanging on for dear life as the snow hopefully passed over head but she could already hear the roaring grow closer, deafening, only the familiarity of a sharp, desperate cry caught her ears even distantly.  
  
"Luz!"  
  
A single glance behind her and Luz's scream caught in her mouth as she braced, only for a flash of burning golden light to flood her vision as Eda materialized before her, pulsing golden barrier bursting from her hands the snow crashed against Eda's spell.  
  
It swelled and swam around them, so powerful Luz could almost feel the magic simmering on the air as Eda roared, her shout sounding somehow wrong as the monsters came screeching and tumbling towards them, still locked in their duel as they and their avalanched ripped through the hillside.  
  
"Elder beasts, just what I needed," Eda grunted, her leg shaking.  
  
Luz raced to her slide, slipping under her mentors arm in a bid to steady her as the witch chuckled, the thick, golden bronze spell flowing forward like water in a stream if parted the raging rapids of snow and crashed against the feuding monsters. In a finale flash each was blasted apart and sealed within golden ligght like it was cling wrap, their struggling forms launched into the sky in opposite directions, as the last of Eda's spell faded in time with the avalanche.  
  
One terribly silent moment passed and Eda gasped, letting loose her spell and slumping atop Luz like a broken marionette.  
  
"Eda? Eda!" Fumbling and desperate, Luz managed to pull Eda down, half resting her in the snow to see her face, eyes swimming with dark lines, the witch chuckled, her fangs oddly large and ill-shaped.  
  
"I'm... I'm fine kid. I just..." Her jaw locked, feathers burst from her ears and she let lose a single, violent spasm as if the beginnings of a heart attack.  
  
"What's wrong, let me help you?" She asked, nearly begged.  
  
"My... Elixir..." Eda gasped, her voice tinged with a rattling keen, "I need it, oh I shouldn't have left Owlbert to wander, curse it. aah... Aaaahh."  
  
"OK. Elixir, we got this, we got this," Luz muttered, hoisting Edda over her shoulder, the giant woman using her staff to help prop herself up as Luz force marched her way through the snow, Eda clumsily murmuring in her ear.  
  
"Why'd... Leave the camp kid?"  
  
"I... I thought I heard the island, I was wrong, it was stupid," She stammered.  
  
"Maybe just heard, the wrong thing..." Eda answered, another spasm rocking her body.  
  
"Eda, what's wrong? What happened to you?"  
  
There was only the sound of snow shuffling and dual heaving breaths before Eda finally answered.  
  
"I shoulda... Told you and King ages ago... When I was... I was a kid, someone cursed me. It eats up more and more of my magic to keep it at bay, and the Elixir is there to help but its... Rare, and expensive," She tensed, a sputtering cough escaping her lips. "I've been running low since we met, the new batch isn't in yet.... I wasn't meant to use much magic, haha, but here we are... Shit I had it managed but that was when I didn't need to think about anyone else."  
  
"I'm sorry Eda, this is my fault."  
  
"You just listened to my advice," Eda said drunkenly.  
  
"When I should have stayed in the tent! I'll get you your elixir, it'll be OK," she promised.  
  
"Not... Worried about me," Eda whispered, and only now did Luz notice her hands, already almost claw like had swelled and grown, long nails turning to dark claws.  
  
"When it hits... I turn into an Owl Beast, and if that starts happening... Run, run and hide Luz, or I'll tear you apart."  
  
"You wouldn't."  
  
"I wouldn't even recognize you," Eda insisted.  
  
Steeling her jaw, Luz swallowed back the dread threatening to spill forth from her stomach and pushed on.  
  
"I will not let that happen," She promised.

* * *

She failed.  
  
Luz could see the camp.  
  
She did as Eda told her and left her by a tree.  
  
Racing into the tent she tore through the bags and pulled free a shimmering range elixir.  
  
Then she ran outside and her heart stopped.  
  
Eda spasmed, she lurched, she screamed and her eyes swam in blackness as limbs began to extend, muscles always a little odd re-shaped themselves and swelled, her long mane grew as her face flattened, and widened into an unholy fusion of Owl and Witch, bearing rows of disjointed and jagged teeth.  
  
Mighty wings unfurled as it let loose a mangled cry that split her ear drums and and sent Luz to her knees. Coated in layers of feathers, Eda's new quadradic body twitched and lurched as it ordering itself, thick haunches kicking over the tree as too long arms, lined with wiry muscles ripped at the snow like a cat at a scratching post.  
  
Little fireflies flickered in the air, flaming to life and then vanishing as Eda snapped and snatched at them with her maw, a too long claw lashed out and trying to grab at the shining light before crushing it, confusing the beast as it crooned and twitched, head shuddering violently.  
  
"e- Eda," She gasped, realization finally striking her.  
  
'She knew I'd be too late, she was protecting me. Me!?'  
  
The Owl Beast's gaze flickered to her, its massive maw spreading in a manic grin, empty black eyes stared into Luz's own as its jaw unhinged, revealing rows of teeth that seemed to stretch on forever as its grey tongue lolled out.  
  
Swallowing she forced herself to her feet, trying not to look threatening, she murmured, "You know me, Eda, you're my mentor, remember punk? Kid? Luz?" she murmured, drawing a strange woofing hoot from the Owl Beast as its wings fluttered and it limbered up.  
  
What happened next, Luz wasn't sure, either it prepared to pounce or it wasn't, but then it saw the Elixir and scrambled back, hissing and crowing, it beat its mighty wings once, flinging Luz to her back and where she was barely able to protect the Elixir as she crashed into the ground as the Owl Beast launched itself into the sky with a keening cry that made Luz imagine a strangled wail.  
  
"EDA!!"  
  
Her cry fell on deaf ears as the Owl Beast surged into the sky and soared into the woods, leaving Luz behind clutching the Elixir close to her heart, trying to stifle tears and sniff back sobs.  
  
"eda..."

* * *

Eda was gone and Luz lay alone, a useless elixir held to her heart and shuddering breaths escaping her lips, as mist spilled into the air and her shaking grew worse.  
  
How long had it been?  
  
She didn't know.  
  
It can't have been too long as she was not yet feeling faux warmth, nor was she yet numb, but time had assuredly passed, the stars did not look the same.  
  
Hazy gaze meandering through the sky as her mind wallowed, Luz instinctively began to trace patterns as she saw them flash across her sight, a nervous tick developed at camp, something to externalize the mounting pressure in her mind.  
  
'The sky...' Luz realized.  
  
The stars she had seen earlier, had watched when they first came out felt different. It should have been impossible and yet flickering and flashing in Eda's golden light was a triangle trapped within a circle, a smaller triangle and circle on top. Down the middle a long line with two smaller lines across, side by side within the large triangle.  
  
Luz's hazy hand strokes followed the pattern into the snow until it was done.  
  
"Maldita sea!" She screeched, slamming her fist into the snow. Eda needed her and here she was... Was...  
  
Luz felt a pulsing presence against her hand, a flickering light just out of sight, and so she forced herself to sit up and saw below her fist was a ball of pulsing, shimmering golden light.  
  
She didn't think, no words came to mind as she traced the pattern again and with shaking fingers tapped it, only to see another orb flash to life!  
  
'Magic, I'm doing magic!' A tiny part of her wanted to cheer, but the clenching claws on her chest did not allow it.  
  
Turning her gaze to the sky, Luz's brain could neither see the pattern or spell.  
  
'This island, the magic, they have some kind of will, right?' That was what Eda had been talking about, right? 'What could it be telling me, what do I...'  
  
Luz slapped her numb cheek, "The lights!"  
  
A sharp, shrill hoot hit her ears as Owlbert burst form the canopy, eyes wide with fright the creature fluttered and flashed around her madly.  
  
"I know, Eda's curse, listen, can you find her?"  
  
Owlbert stilled and offered a sharp nod.  
  
Holding up the elixir Luz's expression hardened, strength she did not know she had filled her muscles and voice, "Then we can save her."

* * *

They hadn't left in that moment, despite Owlbert's insistence.  
  
Luz had needed to prepare.  
  
Stowing her dagger, snatching up Eda's staff, and grabbing both sketchbook and pencil she'd drawn a large, large Glyph and stared with stinging eyes as a monstrous orb the size of her chest swelled to life. Pressing her hand against it, she could almost feel the power humming, and just like the first she had accidentally pressed into the snow, Luz saw she could move it, at least somewhat.  
  
Looking to Owlbert she steeled her gaze and nodded, "Time to go."  
  
Not waiting for another word, the Owl burst into action and Luz raced after him, rushed but still functional spell circles inscribed on scraps of her sketchbook as she went, leaving a flickering trail of golden light right back to camp.  
  
The journey was hard, Owlbert's frantic tracking was only so useful when Eda could fly, but she knew they were making process, ruined trees covered in claw and jagged teeth marks told her that much.  
  
Pumping her legs and rasping for breath, anytime she felt like just dropping, Luz rammed Eda's staff into the earth and hoisted herself forward before leaving behind another light orb.  
  
She couldn't stop, no matter what.  
  
But something did almost give her and even Owlbert pause.  
  
"Think... Think it was her?" Luz gulped, looking at the mangled and massacred body of some half eaten beast.  
  
Owlbert hooted, eyes going wide as its wing flapped harder, sharp calls rising in octaves.  
  
"What, what did you find-" Luz came to a stop, "Oh," she murmured, at the mismatched tracks of a Slitherbeast and obvious signs of a scuffle.  
  
"No... Owlbert, come on!" The owl was already moving as they raced deeper into the looming hills.

* * *

Eda's shrieks echoed and boomed across the slopes, and Luz's mind whirled with worry as she she raced and crawled and thrashed her way across the snow, any splash of blood, fur and feathers forcing her and Owlbert faster in their quest towards a looming cavern.  
  
'Please be OK, please be OK!' Luz silently begged, flashing glints of ice barely reflected in her gaze as she felt the snow giving ay to stone. Luz let out a shuddered sigh of relief as her boots slammed down on solid stone, her chest was burning and the world almost began turning, but sheer focus and a tug on her hair by Owlbert kept her grounded, for now at least.  
  
Stowing Eda's staff, patting the pouch where her Elixir lay and keeping her breaths low, she pushed into the gargantuan caves maw, Owlbert coming to rest on her shoulder.  
  
It was dark, but one ripped shred of sketch paper changed that as Luz held a golden ball aloft in her hand, as Owlbert's eyes shone like flashlights into the dim cavern.  
  
Scratch marks, fur and feather flashed across their sight, but too small to hint at the participants fate. Strange musty smells and that of... garlic, mangled with mucus pressed on Luz's senses. It would have made her sick had she the mind to notice it.  
  
At a splash of blood and shed feathers half buried in dirt-ridden snow, Luz sucked in a breath through her teeth, chest shuddering.  
  
Owlbert crooned sadly, little feathers fluffing up anxiously.  
  
"Hey, its OK, maybe she's just building a nest," Luz murmured, catching sight of her reflection in some of the frozen cave walls, "Just keep looking and I'll use my Light Orb to make sure we don't step on anything, K?"  
  
Pressing on, they traversed up winding paths, kicked through bones both animal and people, before coming to a stop at the sight of rubble and ripped flesh.  
  
'Oh please no,'  
  
She raced forward unaware that Owlbert had taken flight as she flung herself against the rubble, tearing and tugging at it, gloves ripping, "Eda, are you in there!?"  
  
She felt the rubble rumble, and then her ears twitched as a high keening cry echoed... From elsewhere in the cavern.  
  
Owlbert swooped down, grabbed on to her hair and frantically tugged Luz aside as the rubble began to rise and rumble.  
  
It was like she'd barely cleared the miniature cave-in before it burst across the air as the bloodied and brutal body of the Slitherbeast rose from the wreckage, maw unhinging it let loose an earth shaking roar that echoed and rebound in the cavern, crashing against Luz's ears like striking fists!  
  
"Oh, vete a la verga!"  
  
Bristling and baring its teeth, the monsters oversized snout flared and with barely a moment it turned its attention on them.  
  
Luz picked up the pace, following Owlbert's path she caught sight of the owl turning around, eyes flaring golden he let loose a burst of magic that draw a groan from the beast, but barely stalled it.  
  
But it did give them just enough time.  
  
The Slitherbeasts too long and too human arm lashed out to grasp them, Luz grabbed Owlbert and leapt forward, skidding along the icy cavern and into a deep, deep corner, blockaded off by a thick pillar of stone and ice.  
  
The cave rumbled as the monster crashed against the load bearing pillar, but true to its role the rock held fast against the monsters might and left them just barely out of reach.  
  
Knees pulled up against her chest and head sunk low, Luz was gasping for breath, eyes wide and wild as the furious rumbling and clawing roared around her.  
  
Looking up, still panting she pressed herself tightly against the wall, "Can you, do anything?" She hissed to Owlbert.  
  
The creature turned its entire body to face her, eyes flashing and dimming, once, twice, three times.  
  
"... You can do three more of those flashes... Then your out of energy?"  
  
She didn't hear Owlbert's hoot over the sound of the Slitherbeasts tantrum as it dragged its claws along the ground, tearing at the stone and ice, fractured pieces flying at her, forcing Luz to shield her face.  
  
"Fuck off!" She shrieked, snatching a freed sheet of ice to use as a makeshift shield that she and Owlbert could cower behind.  
  
The monster merely continued its raging, trying to grab her from the other angle and forcing Luz to the other side of the corner, soon to be shuffling between the two sides until one of them tired or the pillar keeping them apart broke.  
  
'Or Eda's comes back and kills it,' she thought hopefully, ice shield held close to her face... So close in fact she could see what should have been little pockets of air was instead strangely patterned circles... A large diamond with a line down the center, sat on another line across the bottom of the circle. Across the diamond curved a line and in a few others there was a smaller diamond at the bottom.  
  
Rolling her way around another violent grab, Luz looked to Owlbert, "Well what do we have to lose?" The owl hooted and Luz drew her dagger.  
  
Flicking out the blade she drove it into the stone and carved a hasty but clean circle and diamond.  
  
The Slitherbeasts groping paw was sent reeling by a flash of magic from Owlbert as she continued her frantic carving.  
  
Something told her to stall on some of the details, leaving it only half as intricate as the glyphs she had seen.  
  
Another frantic roar and reach, Lex slammed the butt of her dagger on the Glyph and marveled as a jagged spear of ice lanced out from the wall, cutting across the beasts hand and sending it rearing back with a shout.  
  
'Can I control the direction like the orbs?' She wondered, painting a smaller glyph in a patch of snow and slapping it not straight down but in the direction of the Slitherbeast; her expression grew wild as the ice lance lurched out at an angle and sent the beasts hand retreating before it could be stabbed again.  
  
Sliding up against the ice spear, Luz pulled out her damp sketchbook, fraying pencil and got to work. Glyphs were layered atop glyphs, pages on pages, in different size and shapes as the beast patrolled and prowled around them waiting to strike.  
  
When she was done, she looked to Owlbert and said, "Think you can stun it for a second?"  
  
The owl gave her a serious, measuring look, far too intelligent for any mere critter before nodding with a gentle hoot.  
  
Sucking in a breath and pushing herself to her feet, Luz matched his stare, "Let's go."  
  
Olwbert burst forward like a little rocket, a golden burst spilling from his eyes, a sharp slap of force echoed in luz's ears, sending the beast rearing back, a paw over its nose protectively.  
  
Bursting from the hide away, Luz slapped the first, massive Glyph and let it drop to the floor, a thick pillar of ice shooting up and sending the shocked beast rearing back.  
  
Meaty hand-paws made to grab her, but Luz was already on her third page, a jagged ice spear, followed by another surrounded the first pillar and stalled the Slitherbeasts path.  
  
Not perturbed, it lurched towards her, mucus dribbling down its maw as it pushed its way slowly and carefully over the central ice pillar.  
  
"You fell for it," She chuckled, slapping her sketchbooks tough, faux leather hard cover, she flung it like a frisbee to the ground beneath the Slitherbeasts hanging maw. In a flash of crackling crystal song, a mighty pillar tore up and slammed into its jaw, launching the monster onto its back.  
  
"Have fun with these asshole!" She crowed, tossing town page after page of spiked ice and crackling spears behind her as she and Hooty bid a hasty retreat, leaving the wounded monster roaring feebly behind them, fully aware of the spiky minefield that awaited it, if it pursued.  
  
"Now we just have to find Eda, give her the Elixir and get home, easy, right!?" Luz looked to Owlbert, the little creature once again sitting on her shoulder, shining eyes pointing the way.  
  
"This tunnel? Got it," Luz answered, one had brushing Eda's elixir as she went.

* * *

An echoing crow hit her ears and Luz almost wanted to smile as dark wings flickered in the distance.  
  
Skidding along the ice, she slipped herself and Owlbert behind a large rock at the caves mouth to peek over and spy a back entrance, one perfect for flyers with a neat, circularly little outcropping resting outside a smoothly carved cave mouth.  
  
There was Eda, or her beast form at least, in all her alien and beastial glory, bearing only superficial scratches and matted feathers for her troubles, she cheerfully tore into the remains of the Slitherbeasts earlier catch, gulping down bone, blood and flesh alike in her wide and overly round maw.  
  
"Well, I guess we got to see the other guy first for once," she murmured.  
  
"Hoot?"  
  
"Human saying, just roll with it."  
  
Eda's extended ears twitched and she crowed, claws flexing and sending Luz to duck behind the rocks, swallowing back any and every sound she wanted to make, near shaking until the sound of crunching bones returned as Eda went back to her meal.  
  
Owlbert looked to her, perched atop her knee, wide eyes worried.  
  
'OK, let's give this a go,' she thought, resolving herself, Luz patted herself down only to find no more paper or even shreds.  
  
'Fuuuuck!' She let her head smack against the rock she hid behind and felt Eda's elixir jostle in her hip pouch.  
  
'The label!'  
  
Carefully, oh so carefully, she pulled the shimmering bottle free and ripped the label off. With the remnants of her pencil she was able to carve a fractured light Glyph that flickered and shimmered to life with a tap of her thumb.  
  
Holding it flat in her palm, Luz placed her hand near the edge of her hide away and was pleased to see Owlbert flap his little wings, sending the orb drifting into the air.  
  
The sound of munching stopped, and Eda's large lithe form rose, shifting the snow as she creaked and cackled, voice disjointed between person and beast as she gamely encircled the light in her claws and snapped it up with a bite, only to crow at the side absence, prancing and patrolling the outcropping for more light.  
  
'OK, it works, now... Now we just need to do this without any paper,'' Luz realized with a silent groan.  
  
Swallowing back her... Everything, Luz drew her dagger and pulled a single glove free to rest on her other knew. Biting back a hiss as she cut her finger, wincing all the while as she uncomfortably pressed the wound against the thick fur, painting a circle in subtle crimson until it was just right.  
  
Licking her lips, she scooped up the glove and held the bottle just above it. Tapping the Glyphs she watched as the glove flickered and coiled in on itself, breaking down into pure light as she lowered the elixir bottle inside, cloaking its presence.  
  
Owlbert nodded and leapt up onto the rock, gently hooting as Luz called, "Oh Eda, I have a shiny thing~" before stepping out from behind the rock, bones rattling, skin shaking as the owl beast looked between them, before its dark eyes grew wide at the sight of the golden orb in her hand.  
  
Rising onto its haunches, claws running across one another, gentle, echoing hoots rumbling in its throat as Luz took a step forward, offering the orb.  
  
A fang filled smile greeted her as the owl beast lunged forward and Luz lobbed the orb and elixir within straight into Eda's waiting maw, scarpering back as quickly as she could and crying out as something massive, feathered and furry crashed against her, sending her to the ground with an oof!  
  
'Am I dead? I'm dead. Why does it only ache a little!?'  
  
She opened her eyes and blinked at the sight of Eda's unconscious form shuddering and shaking atop her own as the last of her features settled back in, bones creaking as they were reshaped, skin shrinking as feathered fluffed and puffed before bursting into nothing.  
  
It was over.  
  
Owlbert hooted happily, landing on Eda's head.  
  
The witch snored gently atop Luz, her larger frame encompassing Luz's own.  
  
She wanted to laugh, maybe to cry and definitely to get the fuck away from the cave, back to camp and then home again.  
  
"But first... We gotta get you to camp," Luz murmured, trying to push the taller witch up and hoping to wake her but getting no reaction, as Eda flopped atop her again the moment Luz let up.  
  
"Uuugggh... Owlbert if I die crushed beneath Eda, tell my story... No, actually tell it but make it better, like I definitely made out with the vampire chick, and I had a motorcycle!"  
  
Owlbert titled his head and hooted in affirmation.  
  
"Little champion you," she chuckled, "Don't suppose you have enough magic to get us back to camp?" she groaned, forcing herself to stand, Eda draped over her like the worlds tallest sack.  
  
Owbert hooted and shook his head in the negative, before doing a small arch and landing atop his staff.  
  
"The cave?" Owlber nodded, "Hah, guess that'll have to do, come on, let's hope slippery-beast isn't out hunting again."  
  
A deep roared echoed from the cave as the sound of cracking ice echoed.  
  
"OK Tine to go!" She spun Owlbert onto his staff and dragged herself and Eda stop it. The air around them bursting as Owlbert launched into the sky and well over the stony peak, just as the Slitherbeast burst onto the scene to howl flutily at the moon.  
  
"There's left overs!" She called, before it vanished from sight.  
  
The flight over the cave dwelling was brief and thankfully Owlbert kept the going a little longer, right back to where they'd found first sight of the scuffle before having to set them down with an 'oof!'  
  
Sucking in a breath, Luz hoisted Eda's arm over her shoulder, held her staff in hand and gave Owlbert's wooden face a nod as it slowly went dormant, "I got her," she promised.  
  
As Owlbert's light faded, her focus fell upon her long winding pathway of light droplets marking the way back to camp.  
  
For the first time since she cast that spell, Luz smiled.  
  


* * *

  
 ** _Epilogue:_**  
  
To Eda wakefulness came at first slowly, a faint sense of tingling light on her sense and a churning in her gut meaning she probably ate five times her bodyweight.  
  
'The curse!'  
  
Memories flooded back as swift as she flung herself up. But she was not greeted by a prison cell, or Lilith or even someone like Morton.  
  
Instead it was the inside of the tent she'd been sharing with Luz, Owlbert resting at her side and little golden light spells drifting around her.  
  
"Where... Where did these come from?" They were pretty, but the light merely brought thoughts of her student to her, flashes, shouts and standing her ground against the Owl Beast.  
  
"Luz!?" She called, crawling out of the tent, only to be greeted by the sight of a shimmering wall of ice surrounding their camp.  
  
A shimmer wall of ice she barely got to look at before Luz turned from her seat at the camp fire, eyes shadowed but her expression tinged with a gleeful mania she cried, "Eda!"  
  
Crashing against her, the human's arms wrapped around Eda with all her might as she began murmuring clumsy apologies and confused explanation, the words "I'm sorry. We saved you. I heard the island. I have magic," all tumbling together, until Eda began running her hands through Luz's hair.  
  
Luz's face peaked up to look at her, and it was clear she was shattered, "Did I hurt you?" Eda asked.  
  
"No, just the Slitherbeast," her grin grew wider, "Did you see? I got magic, it was like you said and we used it to save you!" She squeezed tighter.  
  
"I saw, and... I think I remember some bits and pieces... Thank you, Luz, and congratulations!"  
  
Luz's cheer turned into a yawn, but she did not let go, causing Eda to ask, "What are you doing with your arms here?"  
  
"Its a hug," She said, "Tell no... one..." And with that, Luz passed out.  
  
Sighing, Eda pulled the girl into the tent and lay back down, "We could all use a little more shut eye," she whispered, already making a mental note to go and heal the Slitherbeast once they woke.  
  
For now though, she just wanted to rest, secure in the knowledge her student and Palismin were safe, and the curse was well at bay; more so than it had felt in weeks even.  
  
As sleep began to claim her, Eda idly thought, 'I wonder how Owlbert and King are faring?'

* * *

"Bow to me you snotty underlings!" King crowed to the prone Coven Enforcers.  
  
"Eda's gone and your fellows are captured, secure the Owl House for our ambush!" Lilith howled,  
  
The Emperors Coven burst from the treeline, but their charge was broken by a war cry that sent shivers down the spines of all.  
  
"Hooty, hoot!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well its been awhile, but I hope this chapter makes up for it, this has been a joy and challenge to write. I'd like to thank Dan-Heron for all their support, advice and translations throughout and also to extend thanks to everyone who has read through thus far, I hope its been fun! If you have any feedback, theories or questions I'd love to hear them so please don't be shy :)
> 
> Translations:
> 
> Bruja traidora = Treacherous witch  
> Mierda, funciona = Shit it works  
> No es que pueda disfrutarlo = Not that I can enjoy it  
> Coño = 'vulgar' slang for genitalia, apparently used in a similar manner to damn or fuck.  
> Oh joder, los monstruos están peleando = Oh fuck the monsters are fighting!  
> Maldita sea = Dammit  
> Oh, vete a la verga = Oh fuck you  
> Esto es una jodida broma = This is a fucking joke

**Author's Note:**

> An idea concocted on SB I decided to share, a oneshot for now but I may expand on it late as some other character stuff has already been written/planned out. 
> 
> Translations from Spanish to English:  
> El mío otra vez idiota = Mine again dumbass!  
> Que esta pasando = what’s going on?  
> Qué carajo = bullshit, rubbish, stupidity, bunk, idiocy  
> Pequeño demonio = Tiny Demon  
> Me estas jodiendo = You’re screwing with me.  
> Estas viva = Are you Alive?  
> Cabron = insult  
> Qué = What  
> Vete a la verga = Fuck you  
> Si = yes


End file.
